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Precise orbit determination of the Sentinel-3A altimetry satellite using ambiguity-fixed GPS carrier phase observations

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Abstract

The Sentinel-3 mission takes routine measurements of sea surface heights and depends crucially on accurate and precise knowledge of the spacecraft. Orbit determination with a targeted uncertainty of less than 2 cm in radial direction is supported through an onboard Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver, a Doppler Orbitography and Radiopositioning Integrated by Satellite instrument, and a complementary laser retroreflector for satellite laser ranging. Within this study, the potential of ambiguity fixing for GPS-only precise orbit determination (POD) of the Sentinel-3 spacecraft is assessed. A refined strategy for carrier phase generation out of low-level measurements is employed to cope with half-cycle ambiguities in the tracking of the Sentinel-3 GPS receiver that have so far inhibited ambiguity-fixed POD solutions. Rather than explicitly fixing double-difference phase ambiguities with respect to a network of terrestrial reference stations, a single-receiver ambiguity resolution concept is employed that builds on dedicated GPS orbit, clock, and wide-lane bias products provided by the CNES/CLS (Centre National d’Études Spatiales/Collecte Localisation Satellites) analysis center of the International GNSS Service. Compared to float ambiguity solutions, a notably improved precision can be inferred from laser ranging residuals. These decrease from roughly 9 mm down to 5 mm standard deviation for high-grade stations on average over low and high elevations. Furthermore, the ambiguity-fixed orbits offer a substantially improved cross-track accuracy and help to identify lateral offsets in the GPS antenna or center-of-mass (CoM) location. With respect to altimetry, the improved orbit precision also benefits the global consistency of sea surface measurements. However, modeling of the absolute height continues to rely on proper dynamical models for the spacecraft motion as well as ground calibrations for the relative position of the altimeter reference point and the CoM.

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Acknowledgements

Sentinel-3 flight and pre-mission test data used in this study have kindly been made available by the European Commission (EC) and the European Space Agency (ESA) as part of the Copernicus program. We also appreciate the continued technical support received by GMV and the CPOD Quality Working Group within the frame of the Copernicus Precise Orbit Determination (CPOD) service. Our study builds extensively on GPS orbit, clock, and bias products facilitating ambiguity resolution, which are made available by the joint CNES/CLS (Centre National d’Études Spatiales / Collecte Localisation Satellites) analysis center of the International GNSS Service (IGS). Provision of this community service is greatly appreciated and acknowledged. The authors are, furthermore, grateful to the International Satellite Laser Ranging Service (ILRS) for their continued effort to collect and publicly provide the SLR observations of Sentinel-3A and other LEO satellites.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. German Space Operations Center, Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt, 82230, Weßling, Germany

    Oliver Montenbruck & Stefan Hackel

  2. Astronomical Institute, University of Bern, Sidlerstrasse 5, 3012, Bern, Switzerland

    Adrian Jäggi

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  1. Oliver Montenbruck
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Correspondence to Oliver Montenbruck.

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Montenbruck, O., Hackel, S. & Jäggi, A. Precise orbit determination of the Sentinel-3A altimetry satellite using ambiguity-fixed GPS carrier phase observations. J Geod 92, 711–726 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00190-017-1090-2

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