GPS precise tracking of TOPEX/POSEIDON: Results and implications

Bertiger, Willy; Bar-Sever, Y.; Christensen, E. J.; Davis, E. S.; Guinn, J.; Haines, Bruce; Ibañez-Meier, R.; Jee, Justin; Lichten, S. M.; Melbourne, W. G.; Muellerschoen, Ron; Munson, T.; Vigue, Y.; Wu, S. C.; Yunck, T. P.; Schutz, B. E.; Abusali, P. A. M.; Rim, Hyung-Jin; Watkins, M. M.; Willis, Pascal

doi:10.1029/94jc01171

Cited by 148 publications

(49 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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“…Data from the GPS system on T/P supported radial RMS orbit accuracies better than 3 cm soon after launch [Bertiger et al, 1994]. The GPSDR did not use codeless tracking techniques, and the most accurate (ionosphere-free) observables could be formed only when the GPS antispoofing (AS) function was turned off.…”

Section: Antenna Phase Variations From Topex/poseidon and Gracementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Early GRACE-based calibrations of the GPS transmitters practically eliminated a long-unexplained error in the realization of GPS measurements from the TOPEX/Poseidon (T/P) altimeter mission. In particular, a 6 cm anomaly in the solved-for height of the T/P GPS antenna boom [Bertiger et al, 1994] was reduced to insignificance [Haines et al, 2006]. Similar GRACE-based calibrations significantly stabilized the scale of the TRF realized from GPS alone [Haines et al, 2007], while updated LEO-based antenna calibrations have shown promise for determining the complete TRF, including the origin as well as scale [e.g., Haines et al, 2007;Desai et al, 2008;Haines et al, 2011;Weiss et al, 2013].…”

Section: Using Orbiting Antennas As Referencesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Realizing a terrestrial reference frame using the Global Positioning System

et al. 2015

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We describe a terrestrial reference frame (TRF) realization based on Global Positioning System (GPS) data alone. Our approach rests on a highly dynamic, long‐arc (9 day) estimation strategy and on GPS satellite antenna calibrations derived from Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment and TOPEX/Poseidon low Earth orbit receiver GPS data. Based on nearly 17 years of data (1997–2013), our solution for scale rate agrees with International Terrestrial Reference Frame (ITRF)2008 to 0.03 ppb yr−1, and our solution for 3‐D origin rate agrees with ITRF2008 to 0.4 mm yr−1. Absolute scale differs by 1.1 ppb (7 mm at the Earth's surface) and 3‐D origin by 8 mm. These differences lie within estimated error levels for the contemporary TRF.

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Section: Antenna Phase Variations From Topex/poseidon and Gracementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Using Orbiting Antennas As Referencesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Realizing a terrestrial reference frame using the Global Positioning System

et al. 2015

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“…The first extensive use of the GPS for LEO POD was made by the TOPEX/Poseidon altimeter mission to determine the ocean topography (Fu et al 1994). The analysis of continuously collected GPS carrier phase observations allowed for an orbit determination with an accuracy of better than 3 cm in the radial direction (Bertiger et al 1994). Since that time the quality of GPSderived LEO trajectories has steadily improved thanks to numerous improvements in the GPS orbit and clock products provided by the International GNSS Service (IGS, Dow et al 2005), in the dynamic background models (Flechtner et al 2006), and in modeling the carrier phase observations.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Phase center modeling for LEO GPS receiver antennas and its impact on precise orbit determination

Jäggi

Dach

Montenbruck

et al. 2009

J Geod

146

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Most satellites in a low-Earth orbit (LEO) with demanding requirements on precise orbit determination (POD) are equipped with on-board receivers to collect the observations from Global Navigation Satellite systems (GNSS), such as the Global Positioning System (GPS). Limiting factors for LEO POD are nowadays mainly encountered with the modeling of the carrier phase observations, where a precise knowledge of the phase center location of the GNSS antennas is a prerequisite for high-precision orbit analyses. Since 5 November 2006 (GPS week 1400), absolute instead of relative values for the phase center location of GNSS receiver and transmitter antennas are adopted in the processing standards of the International GNSS Service (IGS). The absolute phase center modeling is based on robot calibrations for a number of terrestrial receiver antennas, whereas compatible antenna models were subsequently derived for the remaining terrestrial receiver antennas by conversion (from relative corrections), and for the GNSS transmitter antennas by estimation. However, consistent receiver antenna models for space missions such as GRACE and TerraSAR-X, which are equipped with non-geodetic receiver antennas, are only available since a short time from robot calibrations. We use GPS data of the aforementioned LEOs of the year 2007 together with the absolute antenna modeling to assess the presently achieved accuracy from state-of-the-art reduceddynamic LEO POD strategies for absolute and relative navigation. Near-field multipath and cross-talk with active GPS occultation antennas turn out to be important and significant sources for systematic carrier phase measurement errors that are encountered in the actual spacecraft environments. We assess different methodologies for the in-flight determination of empirical phase pattern corrections for LEO receiver antennas and discuss their impact on POD. By means of independent K-band measurements, we show that zero-difference GRACE orbits can be significantly improved from about 10 to 6 mm K-band standard deviation when taking empirical phase corrections into account, and assess the impact of the corrections on precise baseline estimates and further applications such as gravity field recovery from kinematic LEO positions.

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“…Although the radiation force, at GPS altitude, is only second in magnitude to the gravitational pull from the Sun, Earth and Moon, its uncertainties are much higher (Table 1). The solar radiation model has received relatively little attention since the publication of the T20 model by Fliegel et al (1992) and is considered to be the largest error source in GPS orbit determination (Bertiger et. al.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

New and Improved Solar Radiation Models for GPS Satellites Based on Flight Data

Bar-Sever¹,

Russ²

1997

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GPS precise tracking of TOPEX/POSEIDON: Results and implications

Cited by 148 publications

References 26 publications

Realizing a terrestrial reference frame using the Global Positioning System

Realizing a terrestrial reference frame using the Global Positioning System

Phase center modeling for LEO GPS receiver antennas and its impact on precise orbit determination

New and Improved Solar Radiation Models for GPS Satellites Based on Flight Data

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