Geodetic VLBI for precise orbit determination of Earth satellites: a simulation study

Kłopotek, Grzegorz; Hobiger, Thomas; Haas, Rüdiger; Otsubo, Toshimichi

doi:10.1007/s00190-020-01381-9

Cited by 15 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 76 publications

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“…VLBI can currently be connected to the satellite techniques only via the station network and the local ties, and is not able to contribute to the geocenter determination. However, numerical simulations demonstrated that geodetic VLBI is able to observe geocenter motion using observations of Galileo satellites (Klopotek et al 2020), suggesting that the GENESIS mission will enable a VLBI-contribution to the estimation of geocenter motion.…”

Section: Improvements In the Itrf Geocenter And Scalementioning

confidence: 99%

“…In summary, to strengthen the link between VLBI and the satellite techniques, it is imperative to use improved and better ties than what is currently available, i.e., the local ties at the relatively few VLBI/GNSS co-located sites. Initial work with dedicated space tie satellites demonstrated the feasibility of this approach, see simulations by Anderson et al (2018) or Klopotek et al (2020) and real observations to the APOD-A satellite by Hellerschmied et al (2018). Dedicated VLBI beacons transmitting at VLBI frequencies on a well-calibrated satellite such as GENESIS will enable the observation of satellites with VLBI radio telescopes.…”

Section: Unification Of Reference Frames and Earth Rotationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The feasibility of a dedicated VLBI transmitter on board future Galileo satellites and the assessment of the impact of quality and quantity of satellite observations on the derived geodetic parameters were studied recently by various authors (see Jaradat et al 2021, Klopotek et al 2020, Sert et al 2022 and references therein). The concept of measurement and equipment choices were discussed in Jaradat et al (2021) and the signals designed to mimic the quasars' radiation as observed and recorded by ground-based telescopes were simulated.…”

Section: Vlbi Transmittermentioning

confidence: 99%

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GENESIS: co-location of geodetic techniques in space

Delva

Altamimi

Blazquez

et al. 2023

Earth Planets Space

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Improving and homogenizing time and space reference systems on Earth and, more specifically, realizing the Terrestrial Reference Frame (TRF) with an accuracy of 1 mm and a long-term stability of 0.1 mm/year are relevant for many scientific and societal endeavors. The knowledge of the TRF is fundamental for Earth and navigation sciences. For instance, quantifying sea level change strongly depends on an accurate determination of the geocenter motion but also of the positions of continental and island reference stations, such as those located at tide gauges, as well as the ground stations of tracking networks. Also, numerous applications in geophysics require absolute millimeter precision from the reference frame, as for example monitoring tectonic motion or crustal deformation, contributing to a better understanding of natural hazards. The TRF accuracy to be achieved represents the consensus of various authorities, including the International Association of Geodesy (IAG), which has enunciated geodesy requirements for Earth sciences. Moreover, the United Nations Resolution 69/266 states that the full societal benefits in developing satellite missions for positioning and Remote Sensing of the Earth are realized only if they are referenced to a common global geodetic reference frame at the national, regional and global levels. Today we are still far from these ambitious accuracy and stability goals for the realization of the TRF. However, a combination and co-location of all four space geodetic techniques on one satellite platform can significantly contribute to achieving these goals. This is the purpose of the GENESIS mission, a component of the FutureNAV program of the European Space Agency. The GENESIS platform will be a dynamic space geodetic observatory carrying all the geodetic instruments referenced to one another through carefully calibrated space ties. The co-location of the techniques in space will solve the inconsistencies and biases between the different geodetic techniques in order to reach the TRF accuracy and stability goals endorsed by the various international authorities and the scientific community. The purpose of this paper is to review the state-of-the-art and explain the benefits of the GENESIS mission in Earth sciences, navigation sciences and metrology. This paper has been written and supported by a large community of scientists from many countries and working in several different fields of science, ranging from geophysics and geodesy to time and frequency metrology, navigation and positioning. As it is explained throughout this paper, there is a very high scientific consensus that the GENESIS mission would deliver exemplary science and societal benefits across a multidisciplinary range of Navigation and Earth sciences applications, constituting a global infrastructure that is internationally agreed to be strongly desirable. Graphical Abstract

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Section: Improvements In the Itrf Geocenter And Scalementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Unification Of Reference Frames and Earth Rotationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Vlbi Transmittermentioning

confidence: 99%

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GENESIS: co-location of geodetic techniques in space

Delva

Altamimi

Blazquez

et al. 2023

Earth Planets Space

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“…Many studies raise the subject of possible co‐location in space for different space techniques. However, most of them are based on simulated data, yet they indicate the advantage of the space ties over the inter‐technique linkage on the ground (Anderson et al., 2018; Glaser et al., 2019; Klopotek et al., 2020).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Many studies raise the subject of possible co-location in space for different space techniques. However, most of them are based on simulated data, yet they indicate the advantage of the space ties over the inter-technique linkage on the ground (Anderson et al, 2018;Glaser et al, 2019;Klopotek et al, 2020). Thaller et al (2011) conducted the co-location onboard navigation satellites using SLR observations to GLONASS and the only pair of GPS satellites equipped with LRAs.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Geodetic Datum Realization Using SLR‐GNSS Co‐Location Onboard Galileo and GLONASS

et al. 2021

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Satellites of the modernized and new emerging Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) are equipped with laser retroreflector arrays (LRA) for Satellite Laser Ranging (SLR). Alongside the Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) and Doppler Orbitography and Radiopositioning Integrated by Satellite (DORIS), GNSS and SLR contribute to the realization of the International Terrestrial Reference Frame (ITRF, Altamimi et al., 2016). Currently, the integration of all geodetic techniques is realized using local ties which are derived based on in situ measurements between reference points of SLR telescopes, GNSS, DORIS, and VLBI antennae using geodetic instruments, such as tachymetry and precise leveling corrected by local plumb line deflections (Glaser et al., 2015;Sarti et al., 2013). Even three space geodetic techniques (DORIS, GNSS, SLR) are already co-located onboard altimeter satellites (since 2001 with Jason-1) and their contribution is also neglected in ITRF realizations. Moreover, laser ranging to GNSS is currently neglected in ITRF.

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Dilution of Precision (DOP) Factors for Evaluating Observations to Galileo Satellites with VLBI

Wolf

Böhm

Schartner

et al. 2022

International Association of Geodesy Symposia

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Installing a VLBI transmitter on Galileo satellites will allow observing satellites in parallel to quasars with Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) telescopes. This offers a variety of new applications such as the direct determination of the absolute orientation of the satellite constellation with respect to the International Celestial Reference Frame (ICRF) and the improvement of the Terrestrial Reference Frame (TRF) exploiting the possibilities of direct high precision tying of the different space geodetic equipment. In preparation of these observations by enhancing the capabilities of the VLBI scheduling program VieSched++, we perform an evaluation study of observations of a Galileo satellite employing Dilution of Precision (DOP) factors. The idea is to introduce DOP factors in the decision process of VieSched++ after a thorough assessment of DOP factors for individual parameters. In our study, we choose an existing network of VLBI Global Observing System (VGOS) type telescopes for observing Galileo satellite GSAT0212 within a 24 h arbitrary session. Preparing the DOP factor analysis, we first carry out a theoretical study to investigate the VLBI sensitivity to satellite orbit displacements in the local orbital frame with normal (radial), tangential and cross-track direction. This analysis shows that the highest sensitivity of a satellite observation is that of the tangential component if the direction of the satellite track is parallel to the direction of the observing baseline. A satellite observation is most sensitive towards the cross-track component if these two directions are orthogonal to each other. The DOP factor analysis itself is performed separating the satellite position again into its three components and adding a separate DOP factor for the UT1-UTC (dUT1) parameter. The periods, where satellite observations are possible, were determined using VieSched++. At a later stage, these DOP factors will be used as an optimization criterion for the scheduling process. The DOP factors of potential observations from the chosen VGOS network to GSAT0212 reach minimum DOP values of 27.13 in normal, 1.49 in tangential, and 1.67 in cross-track direction and 0.45 for determining dUT1. With these results, which have confirmed intuitive considerations on the relative magnitudes, we have laid the groundwork for using DOP factors as driving criteria in the scheduling process of Galileo satellites embedded in regular VLBI observations of quasars.

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Geodetic VLBI for precise orbit determination of Earth satellites: a simulation study

Cited by 15 publications

References 76 publications

GENESIS: co-location of geodetic techniques in space

GENESIS: co-location of geodetic techniques in space

Geodetic Datum Realization Using SLR‐GNSS Co‐Location Onboard Galileo and GLONASS

Dilution of Precision (DOP) Factors for Evaluating Observations to Galileo Satellites with VLBI

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