Preliminary study of the application of the Timation 3 satellite to earth physics

The Timation 3 is a timing and navigation satellite originally planned for launch in December 1972 into a circular orbit at 98 deg inclination 14,000 km altitude with gravity gradient stabilization. An error analysis indicates a satellite position uncertainty of about one meter, 80 percent of which is attributable to the assumed gravity model errors. The remaining uncertainties have a period equal to that of the satellites and can be filtered out yielding an effective uncertainty of about 10 cm in the study of phenomena having different periodicities. The accomplishment of these results depends on a careful consideration of solar radiation pressure taking account of the spacecraft reflecting properties and variations in the presentation area. Consideration is also given to the displacement of the laser reflectors from the center of mass of the spacecraft and to the dynamic coupling of any libration in attitude with the orbital motion. The results indicate that a good set of well distribution laser observations of Timation 3 could yield determinations of polar motion, sea floor spreading, solid earth tides, and earth rotation at the 10 cm level.