利用VLBI数据确定"探测一号"卫星的轨道

双星计划的“探测一号”是中国首颗真正严格意义上的科学实验卫星,其运行轨道为中国迄今所发射的卫星中距地球最远,远地点地心距达7．8万公里．采用射电天文的VLBI技术可以对“探测一号”以及更远的深空目标,如探月飞行器实现跟踪．为了验证VLBI技术在我国探月计划中的作用,上海天文台组织了国内目前仅有的上海、乌鲁木齐和昆明3个台站对“探测一号”进行试跟踪,利用对“探测一号”约两天的VLBI观测数据,确定“探测一号”卫星的轨道,对VLBI的定轨能力做初步的探讨．按照测控部门提供的初轨 (其精度仅保证跟踪)推算的轨道与VLBI时延的拟合误差平均约2 km,时延率的拟合误差平均约15 cm／s．而利用VLBI数据定轨后的拟合程度相对于初轨有了很大的改善,结果表明,单独利用VLBI时延定轨,时延的拟合精度约5．5 m,作为外部检核的VLBI时延率的拟合精度在2 cm／s左右．单独利用VLBI时延率定轨,时延率的拟合精度约为1．3 cm／s,作为外部检核的VLBI时延的拟合精度约为29 m．而若将时延和时延率数据联合定轨,采用其内符精度加权,VLBI时延和时延率的残差分别为5．5 m和 2 cm／s．为了合理地评估VLBI定轨的真实精度,利用模拟数据进行误差协方差分析,结果表明VLBI定轨精度受动力学模型误差的影响较大,由于"探测一号”卫星的动力学模型难以精确确定,所以利用两天弧段的VLBI数据确定“探测一号”卫星轨道的位置误差为km量级,而速度误差可达cm／s量级．模拟计算还表明, VLBI和USB数据联合定轨可以大大提高定轨精度．

Orbit Determination of TanCe-1 Satellite Using VLBI Data

On 30 December, 2003, China successfully launched the first satellite Tance-1 of Chinese Geospace Double Star Exploration Program, i.e. "Double Star Program (DSP)", on an improved Long March 2C launch vehicle. The Tance-1 satellite is operating at an orbit around the earth with a 550km perigee, 78000km apogee and 28.5 degree inclination. VLBI technique can track Tance-1 satellite or even far satellites such as lunar vehicles. To validate the VLBI technique in the on-going Chinese lunar exploration mission, Shanghai Astronomical Observatory (SHAO) organized to track the Tance-1 satellite with Chinese three VLBI stations: Shanghai, Kunming and Urumchi. Orbit Determination (OD) of the Tance-1 satellite with about two days VLBI dada, and the capability of OD with VLBI data are studied. The results show that the VLBI-based orbit solutions improve the fit level over the initial orbit. The VLBI-delay-based orbit solution shows that the RMS of residuals of VLBI delay data is about 5.5m, and about 2.0cm/s for the withheld VLBI delay rate data. The VLBI-delay-rate-based orbit solution shows that the RMS of residuals of VLBI delay rate data is about 1.3cm/s, and about 29m for the withheld VLBI delay data. In the situation of orbit determination with VLBI delay and delay rate data with data sigma 5.5 m and 1.3cm/s respectively, the RMS of residuals are 5.5m and 2.0cm/s respectively. The simulation data assess the performance of the solutions. Considering the dynamic model errors of the Tance-1 satellite, the accuracy of the position is about km magnitude, and the accuracy of the velocity is about cm/s magnitude. The simulation work also show the dramatic accuracy improvement of OD with VLBI and USB combined.