NASA Logo

NTRS

NTRS - NASA Technical Reports Server

Back to Results
Early results from the TOPEX/POSEIDON GPS precise orbit determination demonstrationTOPEX/POSEIDON, a US/French oceanographic mission launched in August 1992, is the first earth satellite to carry a multi-channel, dual frequency Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver capable of making high precision P-code pseudorange and carrier phase measurements. The receiver was placed on TOPEX/POSEIDON as an experiment to demonstrate the potential of differential GPS tracking for subdecimeter orbit determination. In addition to the receiver, TOPEX/POSEIDON carries two flight-proven tracking systems to provide the operational precise orbit determination needed to meet the mission scientific requirements. These include a French-built one-way Doppler system known as DORIS (Doppler Orbitography and Radiopositioning Integrated by Satellite) and a circular ring of laser retroreflectors. Here we evaluate the quality of the GPS-determined orbits by examining post-fit residuals, orbit comparisons with DORIS, and orbit repeatability on overlapping data arcs. Overlapping data arcs with 6 hrs of common data out of a 30-hr arc have an average root-mean-square (RMS) altitude difference of 3.0 cm for 9 arcs. The average RMS altitude difference about the mean with a DORIS orbit was 5.7 cm.
Document ID
19950049797
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Bertiger, Willy
(Jet Propulsion Lab. California Inst. of Tech., Pasadena, CA, US, United States)
Wu, Sien
(Jet Propulsion Lab. California Inst. of Tech., Pasadena, CA, US, United States)
Yunck, Tom
(Jet Propulsion Lab. California Inst. of Tech., Pasadena, CA, US, United States)
Muellerschoen, Ron
(Jet Propulsion Lab. California Inst. of Tech., Pasadena, CA, US, United States)
Willis, Pascal
(Institut Geographique National Paris, France)
Bar-Sever, Yoaz
(Jet Propulsion Lab. California Inst. of Tech., Pasadena, CA, US, United States)
Davis, AB
(Jet Propulsion Lab. California Inst. of Tech., Pasadena, CA, US, United States)
Haines, Bruce
(Jet Propulsion Lab. California Inst. of Tech., Pasadena, CA, US, United States)
Munson, Tim
(Jet Propulsion Lab. California Inst. of Tech., Pasadena, CA, US, United States)
Lichten, Steve
(Jet Propulsion Lab. California Inst. of Tech., Pasadena, CA, US, United States)
Date Acquired
August 16, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 1993
Publication Information
Publication: In: Spaceflight mechanics, 1993; AAS(AIAA Spaceflight Mechanics Meeting, 3rd, Pasadena, CA, Feb. 22-24, 1993, Parts 1 & 2 . A95-81344
Publisher: American Astronautical Society (Advances in the Astronautical Sciences, Vol. 82, Pts. 1 & 2)
ISSN: 0065-3438
Subject Category
Space Communications, Spacecraft Communications, Command And Tracking
Accession Number
95A81396
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

Available Downloads

There are no available downloads for this record.
No Preview Available