Abstract GRACE and GRACE-FO require the reduction of non-gravitational accelerations, through an onboard accelerometer, to accurately estimate variations in the Earth’s gravitational field. Accuracy in the accelerometer measurements is vital to this mass change recovery and significant errors will reduce the quality of the recovered science data. This paper describes our current characterization of error sources in the GRACE-FO accelerometers and the error mitigation strategies used in the generation of the JPL/CSR GRACE-FO Version 04 accelerometer data for public release. Our current error characterization model describes flicker noise on readings of one accelerometer plate pair on GRACE-D, impulse response limitations on both accelerometers, nonphysical once per revolution variations in the roll angular acceleration measurements on both accelerometers, significant correlated errors on all axes on GRACE-D, nominal thermal bias dependencies on both accelerometers, and expected nominal inter-measurement aliasing (cross-talk - expected as heritage from GRACE). Attitude reconstruction strategies incorporating star camera, inertial measurement unit, and magnetorquer measurements visibly improve angular acceleration recovery independent of the accelerometer. Error mitigation strategies for the linear acceleration measurements, associated with the calibrated accelerometer product provided in the version 04 release, dramatically improve estimates of the Earth’s gravity field. While many of the error characterizations described here are not necessary for constructing the accelerometer transplant from GRACE-C to GRACE-D, as is currently done in the Version 04 release, the error characterizations described here lay the groundwork for future use of calibrated/corrected GRACE-D accelerometer data.


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    Title :

    Modeling GRACE-FO accelerometer data for the version 04 release


    Contributors:

    Published in:

    Advances in Space Research ; 69 , 3 ; 1393-1407


    Publication date :

    2021-10-31


    Size :

    15 pages




    Type of media :

    Article (Journal)


    Type of material :

    Electronic Resource


    Language :

    English




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