Systematic biases in DORIS-derived geocenter time series related to solar radiation pressure mis-modeling

As any satellite geodesy technique, DORIS can monitor geocenter variations associated to mass changes within the Earth–Atmosphere–Continental hydrosphere–Oceans system. However, especially for the Z-component, corresponding to a translation of the Earth along its rotation axis, the estimated geocenter is usually affected by large systematic errors of unknown cause. By reprocessing old DORIS data, and by analyzing single satellite solutions in the frequency domain, we show that some of these errors are satellite-dependent and related to the current DORIS orbit determination strategy. In particular, a better handling of solar pressure radiation effects on SPOT-2 and TOPEX satellites is proposed which removes a large part of such artifacts. By empirically multiplying the current solar pressure model with a single coefficient (1.03 for TOPEX/Poseidon after 1993.57, and 0.96 before; and 1.08 for SPOT-2) estimated over a long time period, we can improve the measurement noise of the Z-geocenter component from 47.5 to 30.4 mm for the RMS and from 35 to 6 mm for the amplitude of the annual signal. However, the estimated SRP coefficient for SPOT-2 presents greater temporal variability, indicating that a new, dedicated solar radiation pressure model is still needed for precise geodetic applications. In addition, for the TOPEX satellite, a clear discontinuity of unknown cause is also detected on July 27, 1993.     

Determination of high frequency variations in earth's rotation from Doppler satellite observations

The determination of high frequency variations in UT-1 and a component of pole position from a single pass of Doppler observations of a Navy Navigation Satellite is affected by instrument errors and uncertainties in the gravity field and atmospheric drag forces used in computing the satellite orbit. For elevation angles above20°, instrument errors contribute about2 msec to the determination of UT-1 and “.03 to the determination of pole position. Gravity and drag errors contribute about 0“.03 of correlated error. But gravity errors may be inferred by statistical analysis of residuuls after drag errors are reduced by drag-compensating devices aboard future Navy Navigation Satellites. Since20 Doppler stations nominally acquire about100 passes each day, daily observations of UT-1 and pole position could achieve precisions of0.2 msec and “.005, respectively, assuming half the passes contribute to the determination of each component of pole position. The current accuracy of Doppler results for two day solutions is about50 cm for pole position and1 msec for high frequency variations in UT-1.     

低轨卫星初始状态误差对反演地球重力场的影响

基于动力学法反演地球重力场的基本理论,研究了卫星初始状态向量误差对应用低轨卫星精密轨道数据反演地球重力场的影响。在仅考虑低轨卫星初始状态误差的情况下进行了模拟计算,结果表明:在利用低轨卫星精密轨道数据反演地球重力场时,卫星初始状态向量误差需要重新进行估计;在目前的轨道精度水平下,若不顾及误差方程二次项的影响,反演弧长不宜过长;卫星初始状态速度误差(约1.5mm/s)的影响要大于位置误差(约10 cm)的影响。     

Improving the orbit estimates of GPS satellites

The Extended Center for Orbit Determination in Europe (CODE) Orbit Model, an empirical orbit model proposed by Beutler and colleagues in 1994, has been tested extensively since January 1996. Apart from six osculating Keplerian elements, this orbit model consists of nine (instead of the conventional two) parameters to take into account the deterministic part of the force field acting on the satellites. Based on the test results an improved orbit parameterization is proposed. The new orbit parameterization consists of the conventional two parameters plus three additional parameters, a constant and two periodic terms (a cosine and a sine term), in the X-direction to model the effects of the solar radiation pressure. Results based on one full year of routine orbit estimation, using the original and the new orbit parameterization, are presented to demonstrate the superiority of the new approach. An improvement of the orbit estimates with at least a factor of two is observed! Received: 20 January 1998 / Accepted: 30 November 1998     

Reduced dynamic and kinematic precise orbit determination for the Swarm mission from 4 years of GPS tracking

Precise science orbits for the first 4 years of the Swarm mission have been generated from onboard GPS measurements in a systematic reprocessing using refined models and processing techniques. Key enhancements relate to the introduction of macro-models for a more elaborate non-gravitational force modeling (solar radiation pressure, atmospheric drag and lift, earth albedo), as well as carrier phase ambiguity fixing. Validation using satellite laser ranging demonstrates a 30% improvement in the precision of the reduced dynamic orbits with resulting errors at the 0.5–1 cm level (1D RMS). A notable performance improvement is likewise achieved for the kinematic orbits, which benefit most from the ambiguity fixing and show a 50% error reduction in terms of SLR residuals while differences with respect to reduced dynamic ephemerides amount to only 1.7 cm (median of daily 3D RMS). Compared to the past kinematic science orbits based on float-ambiguity estimates, the new kinematic position solutions exhibit a factor of reduction of two to three in Allan deviation at time scales of 1000s and higher, and promise an improved recovery of low-degree and -order gravity field coefficients in Swarm gravity field analyses.     

A framework for modelling kinematic measurements in gravity field applications

The determination of the local gravity field from sensors mounted in a fixed wing aircraft has long been a dream of geodesists and geophysicists. The progress in sensor technology during the last decade has brought its realization within reach and recent tests indicate that results at the level of a fewmGal are possible. To assess different sensor configurations and their effect on the resolution of the gravity field spectrum, a state model for motion in the gravity field of the earth is formulated. The resulting set of differential equations can accommodate first and second order gravity gradients, specific force, kinematic acceleration, vehicle velocity and position as input. It offers therefore a rather general framework for gravity field determination from a variety of kinematic sensors, such as gravity meters, gravity gradiometers, inertial systems, differentialGPS, laser altimeters and others. The derivation of the basic kinematic model and its linearization are given in detail, while sensor error models are discussed in a generic way. A few remarks on the modelling of gravity gradiometer measurements conclude the paper.     

The computation of aliasing effects in local gravity field approximation

The aliasing effects in local gravity field computations are presented in this study. First the relation between the power spectral density of a 2-D continuous signal and its corresponding sampled version is derived. Then the power spectral density of the aliasing errors related to non band-limited signals is derived. Finally the variance of these aliasing errors is computed using gravity anomalies at different grid spacings. This computation prerequires some known gravity anomaly power spectral density model. The model used in this study corresponds to a second-order Gauss-Markov covariance function for the anomalous potential. Editor’s notice: Comments on this paper will follow in the next issue of Bulletin Géodésique.     

An evaluation of some systematic error sources affecting terrestrial gravity anomalies

Terrestrial free-air gravity anomalies form a most essential data source in the framework of gravity field determination. Gravity anomalies depend on the datums of the gravity, vertical, and horizontal networks as well as on the definition of a normal gravity field; thus gravity anomaly data are affected in a systematic way by inconsistencies of the local datums with respect to a global datum, by the use of a simplified free-air reduction procedure and of different kinds of height system. These systematic errors in free-air gravity anomaly data cause systematic effects in gravity field related quantities like e.g. absolute and relative geoidal heights or height anomalies calculated from gravity anomaly data. In detail it is shown that the effects of horizontal datum inconsistencies have been underestimated in the past. The corresponding systematic errors in gravity anomalies are maximum in mid-latitudes and can be as large as the errors induced by gravity and vertical datum and height system inconsistencies. As an example the situation in Australia is evaluated in more detail: The deviations between the national Australian horizontal datum and a global datum produce a systematic error in the free-air gravity anomalies of about −0.10 mgal which value is nearly constant over the continent     

Thermal re-emission effects on GPS satellites

Highly precise satellite-derived coordinates depend on accurate orbit predictions, which cannot be achieved with purely empirical models. Global positioning system (GPS) satellites undergo several periodic perturbing forces that have to be modeled and understood. In this scenario, small non-gravitational forces can no longer be neglected when the purpose of the orbital analysis is to obtain accurate results (Vilhena de Moraes 1994). Together with solar radiation pressure, thermal re-emission effects due to solar heating and Earth albedo are the two most important non-gravitational effects. While solar radiation pressure is widely understood, our knowledge about thermal re-emission effects on GPS satellites is in its infancy. Few models have been proposed in recent years and despite the interest of the scientific community, there is a lack of detailed results concerning the magnitude and the behavior of such forces. The aim of this work is to provide a thermal re-emission force model for GPS satellites, simple enough to minimize the problem of modeling a satellite of complex shape with several components on its surface, but accurate enough to provide an estimate of the magnitude and the behavior of these forces, as well as to provide some input to the present knowledge about photon thrust on GPS satellites. Some results of this work point to the fact that thermal re-emission effects are good candidates to partially explain the Y-bias for GPS satellites.     

LEO GPS attitude determination algorithm for a micro-satellite using boom-arm deployed antennas

This paper describes a low earth orbiter micro-satellite attitude determination algorithm using GPS phase and pseudorange data as the only observables. It is designed to run in real-time, at a rate of 10 Hz, on-board the spacecraft, using minimal chip and memory resources. The spacecraft design includes four GPS antennas deployed on boom arms to improve the antenna separations. The boom arms feature smart sensors, from which time-varying deformation data are used to calculate changes in the body-fixed system (BFS) co-ordinates of the attitude antennas. These data are used as input to the attitude algorithm to improve the accuracy of the output. The conventional double-difference phase observation equations have been re-arranged so that the only unknown parameters in the functions (once the ambiguities have been determined) are the spacecraft Euler angles. This greatly increases the redundancy in the mathematical model, and is exploited to enhance the algorithm's ability to trap observations contaminated by unmodelled multipath. This approach has been shown to be successful in identifying phase outliers at the 5–10 mm level. Speed of execution of the program is improved by utilising numerical differentiation of the model equations in the linearisation process. Furthermore, as the number of solve-for parameters is reduced to three by the chosen mathematical model, matrix inversion requirements are minimised. A novel approach to ambiguity resolution and determination of initial estimates of the attitude parameters has been developed utilising a heuristic technique and the known, and time varying, BFS co-ordinates of the antenna array. Algorithm testing is based on a simulation of the micro-satellite trajectory combined with variations in attitude derived from spin-stabilisation and periodic roll and pitch parameters. The trajectory of the spacecraft centre of mass was calculated by numerical integration of a force model using Earth gravity field parameters, third body effects due to the Sun and the Moon, dynamic Earth tide effects (solar and lunar), and a solar radiation pressure model. Frame transformations between J2000 and ITRF97 used the IERS conventions. A similar approach was used to calculate the trajectories of all available GPS satellites during the same period, using initial conditions of position and velocity from IGS precise orbits. RMS differences between the published precise orbit and the integrated satellite positions were at the 5-mm level. Phase observables are derived from these trajectories, biased by simulation of receiver and satellite clock errors, cycle slips, random or systematic noise and initial integer ambiguities. In the actual simulation of the attitude determination process in orbit, GPS satellite positions are calculated using broadcast ephemerides. The results show that the aim of 0.05° (two sigma) attitude precision can be met provided that the phase noise can be reduced to the level of 1–2 mm. Attitude precision was found to vary strongly with constellation geometry, which can change quite rapidly depending on the variations in spacecraft attitude. The redundancy in the mathematical model was found to be very effective in trapping and isolating cycle slips to the double difference observations that are contaminated. This allows for the possibility of correcting for cycle slips without full recourse to the ambiguity resolution algorithm. Electronic Publication     

Absolute gravity measurements in Switzerland: Definition of a base network for geodynamic investigations and for the Swiss fundamental gravity net

Summary Results of two absolute gravity surveys performed in Switzerland between 1978 and 1979 are presented and discussed in the framework of the uplift history of the Swiss Alps. Five absolute stations have been established as a contribution to the Swiss fundamental gravity net as well as to geodynamic investigations on the Alpine uplift. Two sites (Interlaken—Jungfraujoch) form the end points of a calibration line for field gravimeters. The gravity range of this line amounts to 605×10⁻⁵ ms⁻² (=605 mgal). It can be traversed in a relatively short time interval of less than 3 hours. Two other sites (Brig and Chur) are located in the area of the most negative gravity anomalies and highest uplift rates encountered in Switzerland. They serve as reference stations for a more extended gravity net for studying non—periodic secular gravity variations associated with the Alpine uplift. Institut für Geod?sie und Photogrammetrie, ETH-Zürich, Separata No. 13. Institut für Geophysik, ETH-Zürich, Contribution No. 333.     

Uniquely and overdetermined geodetic boundary value problems by least squares

Least-squares by observation equations is applied to the solution of geodetic boundary value problems (g.b.v.p.). The procedure is explained solving the vectorial Stokes problem in spherical and constant radius approximation. The results are Stokes and Vening-Meinesz integrals and, in addition, the respective a posteriori variance-covariances. Employing the same procedure the overdeterminedg.b.v.p. has been solved for observable functions potential, scalar gravity, astronomical latitude and longitude, gravity gradients Г_xz, Г_yz, and Г_zz and three-dimensional geocentric positions. The solutions of a large variety of uniquely and overdeterminedg.b.v.p.'s can be obtained from it by specializing weights. Interesting is that the anomalous potential can be determined—up to a constant—from astronomical latitude and longitude in combination with either {Г_xz,Г_yz} or horizontal coordinate corrections Δx and Δy, or both. Dual to the formulation in terms of observation equations the overdeterminedg.b.v.p.'s can as well be solved by condition equations. Constant radius approximation can be overcome in an iterative approach. For the Stokes problem this results in the solution of the “simple” Molodenskii problem. Finally defining an error covariance model with a Krarup-type kernel first results were obtained for a posteriori variance-covariance and reliability analysis.     

Calibration of satellite gradiometer data aided by ground gravity data

Parametric least squares collocation was used in order to study the detection of systematic errors of satellite gradiometer data. For this purpose, simulated data sets with a priori known systematic errors were produced using ground gravity data in the very smooth gravity field of the Canadian plains. Experiments carried out at different satellite altitudes showed that the recovery of bias parameters from the gradiometer “measurements” is possible with high accuracy, especially in the case of crossing tracks. The mean value of the differences (original minus estimated bias parameters) was relatively large compared to the standard deviation of the corresponding second-order derivative component at the corresponding height. This mean value almost vanished when gravity data at ground level were combined with the second-order derivative data set at satellite altitude. In the case of simultaneous estimation of bias and tilt parameters from ∂² T/∂z ²“measurements”, the recovery of both parameters agreed very well with the collocation error estimation. Received: 10 October 1996 / Accepted 25 May 1998     

Combined processing of the IGS and the IGEX network

 Since the beginning of the International Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS) Experiment, IGEX, in October 1998, the Center for Orbit Determination in Europe (CODE) has acted as an analysis center providing precise GLONASS orbits on a regular basis. In CODE's IGEX routine analysis the Global Positioning System (GPS) orbits and Earth rotation parameters are introduced as known quantities into the GLONASS processing. A new approach is studied, where data from the IGEX network are combined with GPS observations from the International GPS Service (IGS) network and all parameters (GPS and GLONASS orbits, Earth rotation parameters, and site coordinates) are estimated in one processing step. The influence of different solar radiation pressure parameterizations on the GLONASS orbits is studied using different parameter subsets of the extended CODE orbit model. Parameterization with three constant terms in the three orthogonal directions, D, Y, and X (D = direction satellite–Sun, Y = direction of the satellite's solar panel axis), and two periodic terms in the X-direction, proves to be adequate for GLONASS satellites. As a result of the processing it is found that the solar radiation pressure effect for the GLONASS satellites is significantly different in the Y-direction from that for the GPS satellites, and an extensive analysis is carried out to investigate the effect in detail. SLR observations from the ILRS network are used as an independent check on the quality of the GLONASS orbital solutions. Both processing aspects, combining the two networks and changing the orbit parameterization, significantly improve the quality of the determined GLONASS orbits compared to the orbits stemming from CODE's IGEX routine processing. Received: 10 May 2000 / Accepted: 9 October 2000     

Accuracy of mean earth ellipsoid based on Doppler,laser and altimeter observations

The error in the mean earth ellipsoid computer on the basis of Doppler or laser observations of artificial earth satellites or radar altimeter observations of the ocean surface from a satellite depends upon instrument precision, on uncertainties in the specification of the earth's gravity field at both long and short wave lengths, on uncertainties in the origin of the coordinate system, on modeling errors in ionospheric (except laser) and tropospheric refraction, and, for altimetry, on oceanographic effects. The magnitude of the uncertainty in the computed ellipsoid will vary depending on the size of these errors and on the number and distribution of observation stations. Review of computations based on various data sets indicates that differences in the computed ellipsoids are consistent with those expected due to the various error sources and that the best fitting ellipsoid has a semi-major axis of6378136±2 m.     

Polar motion determined by Doppler satellite observations

Doppler observations of Navy Navigation Satellites have been used to comput pole positions on a daily basis since 1969. Limited computations have been performed using data on file for the period 1964–1969. Results of recent computations give a standard error in pole position based on 48 hours of Doppler observations of 7 cm. However, effects of errors in the orbit due to uncertainties in the gravity field prevent the attainment of this precision; the standard deviation of pole position for this time span is 60 cm, giving a standard error for a five day mean based on observations of two satellites of 25 cm.     

Analytical solar radiation pressure modelling for GLONASS using a pixel array

 A new method for calculating analytical solar radiation pressure models for GNSS spacecraft has been developed. The method simulates the flux of light from the Sun using a pixel array. The method can cope with a high level of complexity in the spacecraft structure and models effects due to reflected light. Models have been calculated and tested for the Russhar global navigation satellite system GLONASS IIv spacecraft. Results are presented using numerical integration of the force model and long-arc satellite laser ranging (SLR) analysis. The integrated trajectory differs from a precise orbit calculated using a network of global tracking stations by circa 2 m root mean square over a 160 000-km arc. The observed − computed residuals for the 400-day SLR arc are circa 28 mm. Received: 23 December 1999 / Accepted: 28 August 2000     

Performance of three types of Stokes's kernel in the combined solution for the geoid

When regional gravity data are used to compute a gravimetric geoid in conjunction with a geopotential model, it is sometimes implied that the terrestrial gravity data correct any erroneous wavelengths present in the geopotential model. This assertion is investigated. The propagation of errors from the low-frequency terrestrial gravity field into the geoid is derived for the spherical Stokes integral, the spheroidal Stokes integral and the Molodensky-modified spheroidal Stokes integral. It is shown that error-free terrestrial gravity data, if used in a spherical cap of limited extent, cannot completely correct the geopotential model. Using a standard norm, it is shown that the spheroidal and Molodensky-modified integration kernels offer a preferable approach. This is because they can filter out a large amount of the low-frequency errors expected to exist in terrestrial gravity anomalies and thus rely more on the low-frequency geopotential model, which currently offers the best source of this information. Received: 11 August 1997 / Accepted: 18 August 1998     

Somigliana–Pizzetti gravity: the international gravity formula accurate to the sub-nanoGal level

 The Somigliana–Pizzetti gravity field (the International gravity formula), namely the gravity field of the level ellipsoid (the International Reference Ellipsoid), is derived to the sub-nanoGal accuracy level in order to fulfil the demands of modern gravimetry (absolute gravimeters, super conducting gravimeters, atomic gravimeters). Equations (53), (54) and (59) summarise Somigliana–Pizzetti gravity Γ(φ,u) as a function of Jacobi spheroidal latitude φ and height u to the order ?(10⁻¹⁰ Gal), and Γ(B,H) as a function of Gauss (surface normal) ellipsoidal latitude B and height H to the order ?(10⁻¹⁰ Gal) as determined by GPS (`global problem solver'). Within the test area of the state of Baden-Württemberg, Somigliana–Pizzetti gravity disturbances of an average of 25.452 mGal were produced. Computer programs for an operational application of the new international gravity formula with (L,B,H) or (λ,φ,u) coordinate inputs to a sub-nanoGal level of accuracy are available on the Internet. Received: 23 June 2000 / Accepted: 2 January 2001