Method and system for estimating the direction of arrival of a target signal relative to a satellite

1. A method for estimating a direction of arrival of a target signal with respect to an array of measurement antennas of a satellite in terrestrial orbit, comprising the steps of:

estimating the direction of arrival of the target signal as a function of measurement signals, corresponding to the target signal received by respectively at least a first measurement antenna and a second measurement antenna of the array of measurement antennas;

combining each of the measurement signals with a reference signal corresponding to the target signal received by a reception antenna of the satellite having a maximum gain greater than respective maximum gains of the first measurement antenna and of the second measurement antenna; and

estimating the direction of arrival of the target signal on the basis of the signals obtained by combining each of the measurement signals with the reference signal.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the satellite comprises a plurality of reception antennas servicing various geographical zones of the Earth, each reception antenna having a maximum gain greater than respective maximum gains of the first measurement antenna and of the second measurement antenna; and further comprising the steps of determining the reception antenna for receiving the target signal and utilizing the signal received by the determined reception antenna as the reference signal.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:

calculating a first combination between the reference signal and the measurement signal that are received by respectively the reception antenna and the first measurement antenna in the course of a first time interval;

calculating a second combination between the reference signal and the measurement signal that are received by respectively the reception antenna and the second measurement antenna in the course of a second time interval distinct from the first time interval; and

estimating the direction of arrival of the target signal as a function at least of the first combination and of the second combination.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3 , further comprising the step of processing both the measurement signal of the first measurement antenna and the measurement signal of the second measurement antenna in the course of different respective time intervals by at least one hardware resource of processing chains aboard the satellite.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4 , further comprising the step of processing both the measurement signal of the first measurement antenna and the measurement signal of the second measurement antenna in the course of different respective time intervals by an analog-digital converter, a low noise amplifier or a frequency conversion module.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the target signal is at least one of an intermittent signal or a time varying frequency signal.

7. A method for estimating a position of an emitter substantially on the surface of the Earth as a function of a direction of arrival estimated for a target signal emitted by the emitter in accordance with claim 1 .

8. A method for estimating an attitude of a satellite in terrestrial orbit as a function of a direction of arrival estimated, for a target signal emitted by an emitter of a known position with respect to the satellite, in accordance with claim 1 ; and wherein the satellite comprises at least a first measurement antenna, a second measurement antenna and a reception antenna having a maximum gain greater than respective maximum gains of the first measurement antenna and of the second measurement antenna.

9. A system for estimating a direction of arrival of a target signal, comprising:

a satellite in terrestrial orbit comprising an array of measurement antennas;

a processor for estimating the direction of arrival of the target signal as a function of measurement signals corresponding to the target signal received by respectively at least a first measurement antenna and a second measurement antenna of the array of measurement antennas;

a circuit to combine each of the measurement signals with a reference signal corresponding to the target signal received by a reception antenna of the satellite having a maximum gain greater than respective maximum gains of the first measurement antenna and of the second measurement antenna; and

wherein the processor estimates the direction of arrival of the target signal on the basis of the signals obtained by combining each of the measurement signals with the reference signal.

10. The system as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the satellite comprises a plurality of reception antennas servicing various geographical zones of the Earth, each reception antenna having a maximum gain greater than respective maximum gains of the first measurement antenna and of the second measurement antenna, the first measurement antenna and the second measurement antenna servicing all the geographical zones serviced by the plurality of reception antennas.

11. The system as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the satellite comprises processing chains to process the measurement signals, the processing chains comprising at least one shared hardware resource configured to process both the measurement signal of the first measurement antenna and the measurement signal of the second measurement antenna in the course of different respective time intervals.

12. The system as claimed in claim 11 , wherein at least one shared hardware resource of the processing chains of the satellite is an analog-digital converter, a low noise amplifier or a frequency conversion module.

13. The system as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the satellite is a telecommunications satellite or a satellite for observation of artificial signals emitted from the Earth; and wherein the reception antenna is a reception antenna for a telecommunications or observation payload of the satellite.

14. The system as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the satellite is in geostationary orbit; and wherein each of the first measurement antenna and the second measurement antenna exhibits a field of view of width greater than 3°.

15. The system as claimed in claim 14 , wherein each of the first measurement antenna and the second measurement antenna exhibits a field of view of width greater than 10°.