The Precision Validation of the Precise Baseline Determination for Satellite Formation

• Main Authors: Jong-Yeoun Choi, Sang-Jeong Lee
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Korean Space Science Society (KSSS) 2011-03-01
• Series: Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
• Subjects: precise baseline determination; precision validation; Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment; K/Ka-band ranging system
• Online Access: http://ocean.kisti.re.kr/downfile/volume/kosss/OJOOBS/2011/v28n1/OJOOBS_2011_v28n1_63.pdf

The needs for satellite formation flying are gradually increasing to perform the advanced space missions in remote sensing and observation of the space or Earth. Formation flying in low Earth orbit can perform the scientific missions that cannot be realized with a single spacecraft. One of the various techniques of satellite formation flying is the determination of the precise baselines between the satellites within the formation, which has to be in company with the precision validation. In this paper, the baseline of Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) A and B was determined with the real global positioning system (GPS) measurements of GRACE satellites. And baseline precision was validated with the batch and sequential processing methods using K/Ka-band ranging system (KBR) biased range measurements. Because the proposed sequential method validate the baseline precision, removing the KBR bias with the epoch difference instead of its estimation, the validating data (KBR biased range) are independent of the data validated (GPS-baseline) and this method can be applied to the real-time precision validation. The result of sequential precision validation was 1.5~3.0 mm which is similar to the batch precision validation.