Precise Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales orbits for TOPEX/POSEIDON: Is reaching 2 cm still a challenge?

To achieve maximum benefit from the altimetric data collected by the French-American TOPEX/POSEIDON spacecraft, radial orbit accuracy of 10 cm or better is required. This unprecedented requirement led the French Space Agency Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES) to develop a new high-accuracy tracking system, Doppler orbitography and radiopositioning integrated by satellite (DORIS), and a new precision orbit production facility, the Service d'Orbitographie DORIS. A global effort produced new models and new orbit determination strategies. The result of these efforts has been assessed after 1 year of operation. The original goal has clearly been met, and the TOPEX/POSEIDON orbits produced by NASA and CNES agree to better than the 5 cm RMS level in the radial direction. At this level of accuracy, traditional techniques cannot correctly describe the actual orbit error, and some new procedures are proposed.

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