Evaluation of C-Band Precise Orbit Determination of Geostationary Earth Orbit Satellites based on the Chinese Area Positioning System

Abstract

Geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO) satellites play a significant role in the space segment of the Chinese Area Navigation System. The C-Band transfer ranging method developed by the National Time Service Center (NTSC) has been widely used in the Chinese Area Positioning System (CAPS), with its advantages of separating satellite ranging from time synchronization and being unaffected by weather. The explicit ranging correction models for the C-Band transfer ranging method are introduced in detail in this article for the first time. Precise Orbit Determination (POD) using C-Band pseudo-range observation of GEO satellite 2010-001A in July 2012 has been conducted. The residual Root Mean Square (RMS) of each site and POD are analysed with orbit difference over overlaps of adjacent orbit arcs. Moreover, the orbit of the GEO satellite has been evaluated by Satellite Laser Ranging (SLR) data from both domestic and foreign SLR sites for the first time. The residual RMS of POD using C-Band observation is better than 0·1 m, and the orbit difference over overlaps of adjacent orbit arcs is better than 3 m. In addition, the residual RMS in line-of-sight for a SLR site in China are better than 1 m, while the RMS for the Yarragadee site in Australia is about 3·4 m. It has been shown that the GEO satellite orbit accords very well with the C-Band observation. Also, the distribution of CAPS stations affects the orbit precision. All sites in CAPS are now located in China with low and medium latitudes. The residual RMS of the SLR site in the southern hemisphere is larger than that of the site in China.K E Y WO R D S 1. C-Band transfer ranging correction model.2. Evaluation of precise orbit determination (POD). 3. Chinese Area Positioning System (CAPS).

Investigation on GEO satellite orbit determination based on CEI measurements of short baselines

“…Geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO) satellites have been widely utilised in the field of communication, meteorology, reconnaissance, navigation, time service, tracking and data relay and scientific research, owing to the high-altitude stationarity relative to the ground and wide signal coverage (Du et al, 2012; Vishwakarma et al, 2015; Cao et al, 2014; 2016). Since equatorial space resources are limited, two or more satellites are normally collocated in the same dead box, which requires strict orbit control to avoid potential satellite collisions (Kawase, 2012).…”