Quality of reprocessed GPS satellite orbits

High-precision Global Positioning System (GPS) satellite orbits are one of the core products of the International GNSS Service (IGS). Since the establishment of the IGS in 1994, the quality and consistency of the IGS orbits has steadily been improved by advances in the modeling of GPS observations. However, due to these model improvements and reference frame changes, the time series of operational orbits are inhomogeneous and inconsistent. This problem can only be overcome by a complete reprocessing starting with the raw observation data. The quality of reprocessed GPS satellite orbits for the time period 1994–2005 will be assessed in this paper. Orbit fits show that the internal consistency of the orbits could be improved by a factor of about two in the early years. Comparisons with the operational IGS orbits show clear discontinuities whenever the reference frame was changed by the IGS. The independent validation with Satellite Laser Ranging (SLR) residuals shows an improvement of up to 30% whereas a systematic bias of 5 cm still persists.

[1]  L. Mervart,et al.  Bernese GPS Software Version 5.0 , 2007 .

[2]  Chris Stormer,et al.  Explanatory Supplement to the Astronomical Almanac , 1995 .

[3]  G. W. Davis,et al.  The Joint Gravity Model 3 , 1996 .

[4]  Richard G. Gordon,et al.  No-net-rotation model of current plate velocities incorporating plate motion model NUVEL-1 , 1991 .

[5]  R. E. Neilan,et al.  International GPS Service : 2001-2002 technical reports , 2004 .

[6]  Gerd Gendt,et al.  The International GPS Service: Celebrating the 10th anniversary and looking to the next decade , 2005 .

[7]  Richard G. Gordon,et al.  Effect of recent revisions to the geomagnetic reversal time scale on estimates of current plate motions , 1994 .

[8]  J. W. Marini,et al.  Correction of Satellite Tracking Data for an Arbitrary Tropospheric Profile , 1972 .

[9]  C Völksen.  Reprocessing of a Regional GPS Network in Europe , 2009 .

[10]  H. Fliegel,et al.  Global Positioning System Radiation Force Model for geodetic applications , 1992 .

[11]  Erricos C. Pavlis,et al.  Laser Ranging toGPS Satellites with Centimeter Accuracy , 2011 .

[12]  A. E. Niell,et al.  Improved atmospheric mapping functions for VLBI and GPS , 2000 .

[13]  Michael R Pearlman,et al.  THE INTERNATIONAL LASER RANGING SERVICE , 2007 .

[14]  Peter Steigenberger,et al.  Influence of mapping function parameters on global GPS network analyses: Comparisons between NMF and IMF , 2006 .

[15]  Gerhard Beutler,et al.  Validation of GNSS orbits using SLR observations , 2004 .

[16]  Peter Steigenberger,et al.  Generation of a consistent absolute phase-center correction model for GPS receiver and satellite antennas , 2007 .

[17]  Peter Steigenberger,et al.  Impact of higher‐order ionospheric terms on GPS estimates , 2005 .

[18]  Toshimichi Otsubo,et al.  LASER RANGING AS A PRECISE TOOL TO EVALUATE GNSS ORBITAL SOLUTIONS , 2004 .

[19]  Peter Steigenberger,et al.  Reprocessing of a global GPS network , 2006 .

[20]  J. Ray,et al.  IGS Reference Frames : Status and Future Improvements , 2022 .

[21]  Peter Steigenberger,et al.  Comparisons of homogeneously reprocessed GPS and VLBI long time-series of troposphere zenith delays and gradients , 2007 .

[22]  Results and analysis of the ITRF94. , 1996 .

[23]  C. Boucher,et al.  ITRF 92 and its associated velocity field. , 1992 .

[24]  T. Springer.  Modeling and validating orbits and clocks using the Global Positioning System , 2002 .

[25]  Z. Altamimi,et al.  ITRF2005 : A new release of the International Terrestrial Reference Frame based on time series of station positions and Earth Orientation Parameters , 2007 .

[26]  L. Mervart,et al.  Extended orbit modeling techniques at the CODE processing center of the international GPS service for geodynamics (IGS): theory and initial results. , 1994 .

[27]  Gerhard Beutler,et al.  Contribution of SLR tracking data to GNSS orbit determination , 2007 .

[28]  H. Fliegel,et al.  Solar force modeling of block IIR Global Positioning System satellites , 1996 .

[29]  Tilo Schöne,et al.  IGS Reference Frame Maintenance , 2005 .

[30]  Leos Mervart,et al.  CODE IGS Analysis Center Technical Report 2000 , 2001 .