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Uncertainties in GPS-based operational orbit determination: A case study of the Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 satellites

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 February 2020

P. Kuchynka Open the ORCID record for P. Kuchynka [Opens in a new window] ,
M.A. Martin Serrano ,
K. Merz  and
J. Siminski
P. Kuchynka*
Affiliation:
GMV INSYEN, Flight Dynamics Division, European Space Operations Centre (ESOC), Darmstadt, Germany
M.A. Martin Serrano
Affiliation:
SCISYS, Flight Dynamics Division, European Space Operations Centre (ESOC), Darmstadt, Germany
K. Merz
Affiliation:
ESA, Space Debris Office, European Space Operations Centre (ESOC), Darmstadt, Germany
J. Siminski
Affiliation:
IMS, Space Debris Office, European Space Operations Centre (ESOC), Darmstadt, Germany
*
petr.kuchynka@esa.int
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Abstract

The European Space Operations Centre currently operates five Copernicus Sentinel satellites in the framework of Europe’s Copernicus Earth observation programme. The routine operations rely on a daily orbit determination, carried out on-ground, consisting in a least-squares fit of a dynamical model to GPS navigation solutions generated on-board. The purpose of this paper is the estimation of realistic uncertainties on this daily determined state vector. By comparison with the orbit derived by Precise Orbit Determination, we estimate the 1-sigma errors at approximately 0.5m and 0.5mm/s. Non-stationary errors in the navigation solution preclude their characterisation with a constant covariance matrix. Error whitening is achieved by decreasing the signal-to-noise ratio in the errors through the use of underestimated weights on the data. The approach keeps the errors on the derived state vector unchanged and allows the covariance on the state vector to become realistic.

Keywords

CopernicusSentinelGPSOrbit DeterminationRealistic CovarianceSpace Debris
Type
Research Article
Information
The Aeronautical Journal , Volume 124 , Issue 1276 , June 2020 , pp. 888 - 901
Copyright
© Royal Aeronautical Society 2020

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Footnotes

A version of this paper was first presented at the 18th Australian International Aerospace Congress in February 2019.

References

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