Satellite Orbit Determination Using Short Arcs of GPS Data

Abstract:

This work is concerned with short arcs orbit determination using GPS signals. A special case of truncated arcs assuming that GPS data is only available when the satellite carrying the GPS receiver passes over a ground tracking station is presented. The behaviour of an Extended Kalman filter (EKF) in real time satellite orbit determination using short arcs of data is analysed. The algorithm is a simplified and compact model with low computational cost, and uses the EKF to estimate the state vector, composed of position and velocity components, and GPS receiver clock parameters. The algorithm may use different step-sizes between the GPS signal measurements. Its force model in the motion equations considered the perturbations as being due to the geopotential up to the 10^th order and degree of the spherical harmonics. The algorithm has been formerly qualified using raw single frequency pseudorange GPS measurements of the Topex/Poseidon (T/P) satellite, and used as reference in this work. However, the GPS data are truncated as if they had been collected by a single ground tracking station. In other words, the data are obtained only when the satellite T/P is within the viewing area of the station. The research results are presented showing the degradation of performance when compared to a full arc orbit determination.

• Periodical: Applied Mechanics and Materials (Volume 706)
• Pages: 206-221
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMM.706.206
• Online since: December 2014
• Authors: Ana Paula Marins Chiaradia*, Hélio Koiti Kuga, Bruna Yukiko Pinheiro Lopes Masago
• Keywords: Artificial Satellite, GPS, Kalman Filter, Orbit Determination, Short Arcs

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