Precise Orbit Determination for Low Earth Orbiting (LEO) Satellites Using Bernese GNSS Software

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Dr. Daniel Arnold

University of Bern

Monday December 10, 2018, 12:00-1:00 PM

ESSIC Conference Room 4102, 5825 University Research Ct, College Park, MD 20740

Abstract:

The Bernese Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) Software (BSW) is a well-established high-end software package for the processing and analysis of GNSS data for many demanding applications that require very high precision and accuracy in positioning at centimeter levels. BSW is used on a daily basis for the generation of the GNSS products for the International GNSS Service (IGS), e.g., GNSS satellite orbits and clock corrections, as well as numerous geophysical parameters. BSW is currently used by more than 700 institutions worldwide.

A well-proven application of BSW is the GNSS-based Precise Orbit Determination (POD) of satellites in Low Earth Orbits (LEOs). BSW has been used for the POD of numerous LEO missions, and, in particular, was employed for the generation of the official precise science orbits of the ESA mission Gravity Field and Steady-State Ocean Circulation Explorer (GOCE). Accurate and precise orbit information is mandatory for a wide range of applications, e.g., for precise geolocation of Earth observation measurements, radio occultation, to correctly exploit and interpret satellite altimetry measurements, or to derive information on Earth’s gravity field from satellite orbit perturbations.

In the seminar, Dr. Arnold will give an overview on BSW, focusing on applications to LEO POD. After a short introduction of the necessary theoretical concepts, the capability of BSW for LEO POD is demonstrated based on results related to several LEO missions. Also, some on-going developments and improvements of the software and their benefit for LEO POD will be discussed. BSW is developed and maintained by the Astronomical Institute of the University of Bern (AIUB), Switzerland, which also hosts the Center for Orbit Determination in Europe (CODE).

Bio-sketch:

Dr. Daniel Arnold is a senior research scientist with the Astronomical Institute at the University of Bern, Switzerland. He leads the orbit and gravity field determination group in support of the satellite geodesy research. He has several years of research experience in Low Earth Orbiting (LEO) satellite orbit determination, and lunar gravity field determination using GRAIL data. He also serves as a member of quality assurance working groups for European Space Agency’s (ESA’s) Swarm and Sentinel and supports the operations of the Center for Orbit Determination in Europe (CODE). He received an undergraduate degree in Physics in 2008 and a PhD in Physics in 2012, both from the University of Bern.

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