Precise orbit determination for the GRACE mission using only GPS data

The GRACE (gravity recovery and climate experiment) satellites, launched in March 2002, are each equipped with a BlackJack GPS onboard receiver for precise orbit determination and gravity field recovery. Since launch, there have been significant improvements in the background force models used for satellite orbit determination, most notably the model for the geopotential. This has resulted in significant improvements to orbit accuracy for very low altitude satellites. The purpose of this paper is to investigate how well the orbits of the GRACE satellites (about 470 km in altitude) can currently be determined using only GPS data and based on the current models and methods. The orbit accuracy is assessed using a number of tests, which include analysis of orbit fits, orbit overlaps, orbit connecting points, satellite Laser ranging residuals and K-band ranging (KBR) residuals. We show that 1-cm radial orbit accuracy for the GRACE satellites has probably been achieved. These precise GRACE orbits can be used for such purposes as improving gravity recovery from the GRACE KBR data and for atmospheric profiling, and they demonstrate the quality of the background force models being used.     

中国西部区域GRACE卫星重力变化

针对研究中国西部长期重力变化的问题,该文利用GRACE月重力场模型,基于Slepian变换构建中国西部区域局部重力场,并采用GIA和GLDAS等模型扣除相应误差,通过时间序列分析方法得到该区域2003—2013年卫星重力变化。结果表明,东天山呈现负重力变化,可能由区域冰川消融引起的;西天山的正重力变化,应与冰川小幅增加和构造运动引起的壳幔物质积累有关;青藏高原内陆正重力变化可能由区域地壳抬升、粘弹性地壳的构造应变以及壳幔物质的质量迁移与积累引起;青藏高原边界区域的负重力变化,应与冰川加速消融以及地下水抽取有关。Slepian方法较好地克服了滤波平滑处理带来的重力变化信号压制及细节平滑,可为中国西部的地壳运动、地震活动和气候变化等研究提供数据支撑。     

Regional gravity modeling in terms of spherical base functions

This article provides a survey on modern methods of regional gravity field modeling on the sphere. Starting with the classical theory of spherical harmonics, we outline the transition towards space-localizing methods such as spherical splines and wavelets. Special emphasis is given to the relations among these methods, which all involve radial base functions. Moreover, we provide extensive applications of these methods and numerical results from real space-borne data of recent satellite gravity missions, namely the Challenging Minisatellite Payload (CHAMP) and the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE). We also derive high-resolution gravity field models by effectively combining space-borne and surface measurements using a new weighted level-combination concept. In addition, we outline and apply a strategy for constructing spatio-temporal fields from regional data sets spanning different observation periods.     

Earth gravity field recovered from CHAMP science orbit and accelerometer data

The earth gravity field model CDS01S of degree and order 36 has been recovered from the post processed Science Orbits and on-board accelerometer data of GFZ's CHAMP satellite. The model resolves the geoid with an accuracy of better than 4 cm at a resolution of 700 km half-wavelength. By using the degree difference variances of geopotential coefficients to compare the model CDS01S with EIGEN3P, EIGEN1S and EGM96, the result indicates that the coefficients of CDS01S are most close to those of EIGEN3P. The result of the comparison between the accuracies of geopotential coefficients in the above models, indicates that the accuracy of coefficients in CDS01S is higher than that in EGM96. The geoid undulations of CDS01S and GGM01C up to 30 degrees are calculated and the standard deviation is 4. 7 cm between them.     

Earth gravity field recovered from CHAMP science orbit and accelerometer data

IntroductionSince the launch of man-made satellite early in1957 ,the research for satellite gravity has beentaken a wide attentioninfield of geodesy .Early ,the ground-based satellite tracking has providedan observational data set which has been used tode…     

Bernese高精度GPS数据处理软件介绍及其应用实例

介绍了Bernese高精度GPS数据处理软件最新版本的主要功能、技术特点,及其GPS数据处理的基本流程。并通过实际算例分析得出了一些有益的结论。     

Sensitivity of GPS and GLONASS orbits with respect to resonant geopotential parameters

The Center for Orbit Determination in Europe (CODE) has been involved in the processing of combined GPS/GLONASS data during the International GLONASS Experiment (IGEX). The resulting precise orbits were analyzed using the program SORBDT. Introducing one satellites positions as pseudo-observations, the program is capable of fitting orbital arcs through these positions using an orbit improvement procedure based on the numerical integration of the satellites orbit and its partial derivative with respect to the orbit parameters. For this study, the program was enhanced to estimate selected parameters of the Earths gravity field. The orbital periods of the GPS satellites are —in contrast to those of the GLONASS satellites – 2:1 commensurable (P _Sid:P _GPS) with the rotation period of the Earth. Therefore, resonance effects of the satellite motion with terms of the geopotential occur and they influence the estimation of these parameters. A sensitivity study of the GPS and GLONASS orbits with respect to the geopotential coefficients reveals that the correlations between different geopotential coefficients and the correlations of geopotential coefficients with other orbit parameters, in particular with solar radiation pressure parameters, are the crucial issues in this context. The estimation of the resonant geopotential terms is, in the case of GPS, hindered by correlations with the simultaneously estimated radiation pressure parameters. In the GLONASS case, arc lengths of several days allow the decorrelation of the two parameter types. The formal errors of the estimates based on the GLONASS orbits are a factor of 5 to 10 smaller for all resonant terms. AcknowledgmentsThe authors would like to thank all the organizations involved in the IGS and the IGEX campaign, in particular those operating an IGS or IGEX observation site and providing the indispensable data for precise orbit determination.     

A study on the combination of satellite, airborne, and terrestrial gravity data

Satellite gravity missions, such as CHAMP, GRACE and GOCE, and airborne gravity campaigns in areas without ground gravity will enhance the present knowledge of the Earths gravity field. Combining the new gravity information with the existing marine and ground gravity anomalies is a major task for which the mathematical tools have to be developed. In one way or another they will be based on the spectral information available for gravity data and noise. The integration of the additional gravity information from satellite and airborne campaigns with existing data has not been studied in sufficient detail and a number of open questions remain. A strategy for the combination of satellite, airborne and ground measurements is presented. It is based on ideas independently introduced by Sjöberg and Wenzel in the early 1980s and has been modified by using a quasi-deterministic approach for the determination of the weighting functions. In addition, the original approach of Sjöberg and Wenzel is extended to more than two measurement types, combining the Meissl scheme with the least-squares spectral combination. Satellite (or geopotential) harmonics, ground gravity anomalies and airborne gravity disturbances are used as measurement types, but other combinations are possible. Different error characteristics and measurement-type combinations and their impact on the final solution are studied. Using simulated data, the results show a geoid accuracy in the centimeter range for a local test area.     

星载BDS/GPS低轨卫星定轨精度分析

针对低轨卫星搭载BDS/GPS接收机实现定轨将成为定轨领域热点的现状,该文讨论了基于星载BDS/GPS实时定轨和精密定轨需要考虑的数学模型,阐述了实时定轨和精密定轨的模型差异。基于自主研发程序,利用高动态信号仿真器仿真的星载BDS/GPS数据研究了基于星载BDS/GPS实时定轨和精密定轨的可行性及其能达到的精度。试验结果表明,星载BDS/GPS实时定轨位置精度为1.19m,速度精度为2.35mm/s。GPS信号发生中断时即仅采用BDS观测数据进行实时定轨时,三维位置误差达到3.73m;星载BDS/GPS精密定轨位置精度为2.30cm,仅采用BDS观测数据进行精密定轨时,三维位置误差可达到8.26cm。     

Assessment of long-range kinematic GPS positioning errors by comparison with airborne laser altimetry and satellite altimetry

Long-range airborne laser altimetry and laser scanning (LIDAR) or airborne gravity surveys in, for example, polar or oceanic areas require airborne kinematic GPS baselines of many hundreds of kilometers in length. In such instances, with the complications of ionospheric biases, it can be a real challenge for traditional differential kinematic GPS software to obtain reasonable solutions. In this paper, we will describe attempts to validate an implementation of the precise point positioning (PPP) technique on an aircraft without the use of a local GPS reference station. We will compare PPP solutions with other conventional GPS solutions, as well as with independent data by comparison of airborne laser data with “ground truth” heights. The comparisons involve two flights: A July 5, 2003, airborne laser flight line across the North Atlantic from Iceland to Scotland, and a May 24, 2004, flight in an area of the Arctic Ocean north of Greenland, near-coincident in time and space with the ICESat satellite laser altimeter. Both of these flights were more than 800 km long. Comparisons between different GPS methods and four different software packages do not suggest a clear preference for any one, with the heights generally showing decimeter-level agreement. For the comparison with the independent ICESat- and LIDAR-derived “ground truth” of ocean or sea-ice heights, the statistics of comparison show a typical fit of around 10 cm RMS in the North Atlantic, and 30 cm in the sea-ice region north of Greenland. Part of the latter 30 cm error is likely due to errors in the airborne LIDAR measurement and calibration, as well as errors in the “ground truth” ocean surfaces due to drifting sea-ice. Nevertheless, the potential of the PPP method for generating 10 cm level kinematic height positioning over long baselines is illustrated.     

Variations in the accuracy of gravity recovery due to ground track variability: GRACE,CHAMP, and GOCE

Following an earlier recognition of degraded monthly geopotential recovery from GRACE (Gravity Recovery And Climate Experiment) due to prolonged passage through a short repeat (low order resonant) orbit, we extend these insights also to CHAMP (CHAllenging Minisatellite Payload) and GOCE (Gravity field and steady state Ocean Circulation Explorer). We show wide track-density variations over time for these orbits in both latitude and longitude, and estimate that geopotential recovery will be as widely affected as well within all these regimes, with lesser track density leading to poorer recoveries. We then use recent models of atmospheric density to estimate the future orbit of GRACE and warn of degraded performance as other low order resonances are encountered in GRACE’s free fall. Finally implications for the GOCE orbit are discussed.     

GPS网投影变形及消去投影变形的方法

利用GPS技术进行测量可以不受通视、气候等条件的限制,不仅大大提高了测量工作的效率,而且大大降低了劳动强度。GPS技术虽然是一种全新的技术,但是其基本的理论仍然脱离不了传统测绘理论基础。本文对坐标系统转换进行了介绍,并重点针对高斯投影变形和高程面异常引起的控制网误差进行分析,并通过实例提出了工程测量中变形的简易解决方法。     

基于VLBI、SLR和GPS实测数据的现时板块运动模型

采用空间大地测量技术 (VL BI、 SLR、 GPS)实测板块运动的最新数据 ,导出了全球 7个主要板块 (欧亚、北美、太平洋、澳大利亚、非洲、南美、南极板块 )之间的相对运动欧拉矢量 ,建立了一个完全基于空间大地测量观测的现时板块运动模型 ,称为 SGPMM2。与地学板块运动模型 NUVEL-1 A相比两者基本一致 ,说明最近 3百万年内全球板块运动总体上是稳定的。作者还首次导出了南中国板块相对于欧亚板块的相对运动欧拉矢量 (2 0 .5°S,67.2°W,0 .3 0 0°/ Ma)。与 Armijo等 (1 989)根据欧亚板块内北西藏块体与周围块体的断层走向和滑动速率估计的北西藏块体相对于欧亚板块的欧拉矢量 (1 7.0°S,61 .4°W,0 .45 8°/Ma)相比 ,两者运动方向一致 ,但南中国板块的运动速率稍小。作为对印度板块高速插入欧亚板块之下的响应 ,这个结果证实了南中国板块受西藏块体东向挤压而向东南运动的构造学推断。     

论RS,GPS与GIS集成的定义、理论与关键技术

该文从什么是GPS、RS与GIS (简称三S)的集成开头 ,讨论三S集成中需要研究和解决的一些理论与关键技术 ,最后介绍各种可能的集成应用系统     

虚拟参考站系统的设计与建立

本文介绍了VRS的基本概念，传统RTK技术的局限性及VRS的优点，详细描述了虚拟参考站系统的组成和结构设计，希望能为今后类似系统的建立和设计提供一定参考。     

GPS、BDS、GPS+BDS精密单点定位精度评估

由于北斗系统卫星正式完成组网,因此有必要对BDS系统性能进行精度评估与分析.本文选取了MGEX网所采集的31 d观测数据,对比分析了GPS、BDS、GPS+BDS不同情况下静态与动态精密单点定位精度.试验结果表明,GPS和BDS单系统静态PPP在N、E、U方向上的精度分别优于4、4、7 cm;GPS+BDS组合系统静态...     

COMPASS与GPS兼容定位算法及性能分析

多卫星导航系统间实现互用是提高导航定位性能的重要途径,目前已成为全球卫星导航领域关注的热点和发展方向.我国正在建设新一代卫星导航系统,为保护国家利益,获得世界认同与支持,COMPASS必须走与其他导航系统的兼容之路.本文分析了我国新一代卫星导航系统与GPS系统兼容定位算法和性能,并利用实测数据计算得到了COMPASS-M1与GPS兼容定位结果,验证了COMPASS与GPS兼容定位的可能性.     

基准站设置对POS系统定位精度的影响

利用实际航摄资料分析了地面基准站设置对机载POS系统定位精度的影响,比较了利用其定位结果进行POS辅助空中三角测量和直接对地目标定位的精度。实验表明,架设GPS基准站可以明显提高POS系统定位的高程精度,无地面基准站的POS系统定位结果可满足1∶50000小比例尺航测成图的精度要求。     

低轨导航增强GNSS发展综述

低轨星座具有地面接收信号强度高、几何图形变化快的优势,能够与中高轨GNSS星座形成互补,对增强GNSS的精度、完好性、连续性和可用性具有显著优势,已成为当前卫星导航领域的关注热点。本文首先简要介绍了现有的GNSS增强系统;总结了国内外低轨导航增强星座发展现状;针对低轨导航增强,对比分析了高中低轨导航星座的优缺点;重点讨论了低轨导航增强在联合定轨、快速精密定位、空间天气监测和室内定位等方面带来的机遇;分析指出了低轨导航增强的空间段、地面段和用户段所面临的挑战。