Overlap technique for fitting the range residuals of the SLR data

Abstract The present paper concerns fitting the range residuals of the Satellite Laser Ranging (SLR) data using the overlap technique. The range residuals are characterized by its randomly distributed data points. The method used for fitting is represented. The results are compared with those obtained when fitting the whole data using Chebyshev polynomial and Least Squares Method. The later is already applied in Helwan SLR station. We have found that the overlap technique allows us to use low degree polynomials in order to fit large number of data points and, at the same time, provides better standard deviations, which may be significant, when one wants to reach best fitting. Therefore, the results obtained have approved the choice of the overlap technique in dealing with the SLR range residuals, in comparable with fitting the whole data using either Chebyshev polynomial or the Least Squares Method.