Relativistic synchronization of onboard clocks of navigation space vehicles with the aid of intersatellite measurements

Abstract

The problem of the synchronization of onboard clocks of navigation satellites has considered from a relativistic point of view using the concept of “coordinate simultaneity”. This concept allows an unambiguous interpretation of the synchronization results within the framework of general relativity. The algorithm of intersatellite measurements processing has formulated in terms of a proper time of a space vehicle and the coordinate time of a reference frame. Rules of transformation between coordinate and proper time scales have indicated. An analytical expression has obtained for the periodic relativistic correction to the estimated value of the relative clock drift. This correction has expressed in terms of the coordinate time of a ground observer. The value of this correction exceeds the acceptable synchronization error and should be taken into account for the inter-satellite measurements processing. The error of the relativistic correction determination has calculated. This error provides an upper limit for the period of uploading of ephemeris data on the board of the space vehicle.