Interplanetary Laser Tri-lateration Network: simulation with INPOP planetary ephemerides

Abstract

This study is done in the context of the project titled Interplanetary Laser Tri-lateration Network (ILTN) proposed by [5] and investigated more in details by [1] and [2]. The original idea was to propose interplanetary measurements (in this case between Venus, Mars and the earth) as a way to measure the solar system expansion. But some recent interests on the measurement of asteroid masses and more generally the study of the mass distribution in the outer solar system appear with the ILTN. In this work, we are investigating how different possible configurations of interplanetary measurements of distances can be introduced in planetary ephemeris construction and how they improve our knowledge of planet orbits and other related parameters.