GPS Orbit Determination for Glacier Height Monitoring Satellite

Abstract

Glacier height is determined by the range and orbit height of the satellite. The Range (R) is measured between the satellite and the surface of glacier using a space-borne altimeter. The satellite orbit height (H) is measured from the reference ellipsoid using Global Positioning System (GPS). The difference of orbital height and the altimeter range (H-R) is termed as the glacier height 'h.' Accuracy of the glacier height depends on the precise measurement of both orbital height and altimeter range. The orbital height measured using GPS is accurate compared to all the other tracking systems available. The optimal estimate of the satellite position is obtained using the ODTK tool by setting the mathematical model of the equation of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite and the GPS measurements by applying Kalman filtering.