A satellite tracking campaign was organized, with 4 S-band stations, for 1 week. The relative geometry of the network with respect to the satellites was an opportunity to show how the most precise orbit can be computed with the operational software. This precise orbit served as a reference to evaluate what can be achieved with one station with range and angular measurements, a typical configuration used for stationkeeping of geostationary satellites. Orbit computation implied numerical integration with gravitational (Earth, Moon, and Sun) and solar radiation pressure forces acting on the satellite. Arc lengths of 2 days gave initial state vectors which were compared every day. Precision of 10 m is achieved. However, an analysis of the influence of parameters in the orbit computations reveals that the absolute accuracy is of the order of 100 m, since modeling perturbations were neglected in the operational software (e.g., polar motion). In a relative sense, the reference orbit allows estimation of systematic errors for other tracking antennas.


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    Title :

    Cartel: A Method to Calibrate S-Band Ranges with Geostationary Satellites. Results of Orbit Determination


    Contributors:
    A. Guitart (author) / B. Mesnard (author)

    Publication date :

    1986


    Size :

    229 pages


    Type of media :

    Report


    Type of material :

    No indication


    Language :

    English





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