Precise orbit determination of GIOVE-B based on the CONGO network

GIOVE-B is one of two test satellites for the future European Global Navigation Satellite System Galileo. The Cooperative Network for GIOVE Observation (CONGO) is a global tracking network of GIOVE-capable receivers established by Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR) and Bundesamt für Kartographie und Geodäsie (BKG). This network provides the basis for the precise orbit determination of the GIOVE-B satellite for the time period 29 June till 27 October 2009 with a modified version of the Bernese GPS Software. Different arc lengths and sets of orbit parameters were tested. These tests showed that the full set of nine radiation pressure parameters resulted in a better performance than the reduced set of five parameters. An internal precision of about one to two decimeters could be demonstrated for the central day of 5-day solutions. The orbit predictions have a precision of about 1 m for a prediction period of 24 h. External validations with Satellite Laser Ranging (SLR) show residuals on the level of 12 cm. The accuracy of the final orbits is expected to be on the few decimeter level.