Satellite Navigation and Sources of Errors in Positioning: A Review

The demand for satellite navigation is increasing exponentially. Even a handheld device (cell phones) can perform positional services due to the advancement of technology. However, the knowledge of its structure and working detail still requires a lot of effort to begin this field because of vast literature available in the public domain. In this paper, a brief review of satellite navigation such as working principle, method of position determination, types of reference system used for navigation applications, and techniques of satellite measurements have been discussed. As the errors in positional services are significant for geodetic applications, the sources of errors in satellite measurements have also been considered separately. This paper will help in understanding the basic principle of satellite navigation and how accurate positioning can be achieved.