Achievable Accuracy and Cramer Rao Bounds for SSB Based LEO Positioning in NR NTN

Advanced Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite networks, such as Starlinks Mobile Satellite Service (MSS), will adopt the 5G New Radio (NR) Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN) standard. This enables the use of ubiquitous Synchronization Signal Blocks (SSBs) for opportunistic receiver positioning based on pseudorange and Doppler measurements. In this work, we characterize the estimation theoretic limits of SSB-based positioning by deriving single SSB Cramer Rao lower bounds (CRLBs) for delay and carrier frequency observables associated with pseudorange and Doppler. These bounds are obtained using the full SSB time-frequency energy distribution and extended into a multi epoch, multi satellite Fisher information framework that jointly bounds stationary user position, clock bias, and clock drift. Each SSB contribution is weighted according to a range dependent CRLB determined by the received SNR, so the estimator and the bound share a common noise model. In simulation, the resulting bound closely matches achievable performance, and a physically weighted least squares estimator approaches the CRLB at realistic operating SNR. Using a Starlink based constellation, we analyze the operating SNR experienced by a ground user and demonstrate sub-meter positioning accuracy.

Opportunistic Positioning with LEO Satellites based on SSB from NR NTN

Forthcoming Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite networks such as Starlink's Mobile Satellite Service (MSS) will incorporate the New Radio (NR) Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN) standard. The Synchronization Signal Block (SSB) specified as part of NR is periodically broadcast for cell search and initial access. We propose to exploit the SSB for opportunistic receiver positioning. Doppler shift measurements are modeled and pseudoranges are derived from SSB while also taking into account the receiver's clock bias and drift. The resulting per satellite integer ambiguity in the pseudorange is resolved by geometry alone, without inter-satellite differencing or an a-priori position. Measurements are taken from SSBs of multiple satellites and at multiple occasions per satellite, whereby the SSBs are subject to different transmission timings and varying propagation delays. Finally, a simulation model is developed for positioning based on the actual Starlink constellation and the NR NTN standard to evaluate the positioning accuracy to be expected. The proposed approach achieves a mean positioning error of less than 10m without requiring any modification of the NR NTN standard.