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Ionospheric refraction effects on orbit determination using the orbit determination error analysis systemThe influence of ionospheric refraction on orbit determination was studied through the use of the Orbit Determination Error Analysis System (ODEAS). The results of a study of the orbital state estimate errors due to the ionospheric refraction corrections, particularly for measurements involving spacecraft-to-spacecraft tracking links, are presented. In current operational practice at the Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) Flight Dynamics Facility (FDF), the ionospheric refraction effects on the tracking measurements are modeled in the Goddard Trajectory Determination System (GTDS) using the Bent ionospheric model. While GTDS has the capability of incorporating the ionospheric refraction effects for measurements involving ground-to-spacecraft tracking links, such as those generated by the Ground Spaceflight Tracking and Data Network (GSTDN), it does not have the capability to incorporate the refraction effects for spacecraft-to-spacecraft tracking links for measurements generated by the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS). The lack of this particular capability in GTDS raised some concern about the achievable accuracy of the estimated orbit for certain classes of spacecraft missions that require high-precision orbits. Using an enhanced research version of GTDS, some efforts have already been made to assess the importance of the spacecraft-to-spacecraft ionospheric refraction corrections in an orbit determination process. While these studies were performed using simulated data or real tracking data in definitive orbit determination modes, the study results presented here were obtained by means of covariance analysis simulating the weighted least-squares method used in orbit determination.
Document ID
19910007769
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Yee, C. P.
(Computer Sciences Corp. Greenbelt, MD., United States)
Kelbel, D. A.
(Computer Sciences Corp. Greenbelt, MD., United States)
Lee, T.
(Computer Sciences Corp. Greenbelt, MD., United States)
Dunham, J. B.
(Computer Sciences Corp. Greenbelt, MD., United States)
Mistretta, G. D.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Date Acquired
September 6, 2013
Publication Date
December 1, 1990
Publication Information
Publication: Flight Mechanics(Estimation Theory Symposium, 1990
Subject Category
Astrodynamics
Accession Number
91N17082
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NAS5-31500
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.
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