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GPS-derived orbits for the GOCE satellite

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Abstract

The first ESA (European Space Agency) Earth explorer core mission GOCE (Gravity field and steady-state Ocean Circulation Explorer) was launched on 17 March 2009 into a sun-synchronous dusk–dawn orbit with an exceptionally low initial altitude of about 280 km. The onboard 12-channel dual-frequency GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver delivers 1 Hz data, which provides the basis for precise orbit determination (POD) for such a very low orbiting satellite. As part of the European GOCE Gravity Consortium the Astronomical Institute of the University of Bern and the Department of Earth Observation and Space Systems are responsible for the orbit determination of the GOCE satellite within the GOCE High-level Processing Facility. Both quick-look (rapid) and very precise orbit solutions are produced with typical latencies of 1 day and 2 weeks, respectively. This article summarizes the special characteristics of the GOCE GPS data, presents POD results for about 2 months of data, and shows that both latency and accuracy requirements are met. Satellite Laser Ranging validation shows that an accuracy of 4 and 7 cm is achieved for the reduced-dynamic and kinematic Rapid Science Orbit solutions, respectively. The validation of the reduced-dynamic and kinematic Precise Science Orbit solutions is at a level of about 2 cm.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Astronomical Institute of the University of Bern, Sidlerstrasse 5, 3012, Bern, Switzerland

    Heike Bock, Adrian Jäggi & Ulrich Meyer

  2. Department of Earth Observation and Space Systems, Delft University of Technology, Kluyverweg 1, 2629 HS, Delft, The Netherlands

    Pieter Visser, Jose van den IJssel & Tom van Helleputte

  3. Institut für Astronomische und Physikalische Geodäsie, Technische Universität München, Arcisstraße 21, 80333, Munich, Germany

    Markus Heinze & Urs Hugentobler

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  1. Heike Bock
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  2. Adrian Jäggi
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Correspondence to Heike Bock.

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Bock, H., Jäggi, A., Meyer, U. et al. GPS-derived orbits for the GOCE satellite. J Geod 85, 807–818 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00190-011-0484-9

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