On precise orbit determination based on DORIS, GPS and SLR using Sentinel-3A/B and -6A and subsequent reference frame determination based on DORIS-only

Abstract

The Helmholtz-Zentrum Potsdam GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences is one of the Associate Analysis Centers of the International Doppler Orbitography and Radiopositioning Integrated by Satellite (DORIS) Service (IDS). In the framework of a recent reprocessing campaign for the International Terrestrial Reference Frame (ITRF) the suite of DORIS-derived satellite products was extended and improved with respect to reference frame determination. Among others the Copernicus Sentinel-3A/3B and 6A Michael Freilich (MF) satellites were used for this purpose. The orbits were generated based on DORIS-only and on the combination of DORIS and Satellite Laser Ranging (SLR) observations, and attempts were made to optimize their accuracy. Also for these satellites, GFZ generates Global Positioning System (GPS) based orbits within the Copernicus Precise Orbit Determination (CPOD) quality working group (CPOD-QWG). The GPS orbits contribute to a combined CPOD orbit solution, which is assumed to have superior absolute accuracy and minimal residual systematic errors. The DORIS-only, the combined DORIS and SLR, and the GPS-only orbits are compared to the CPOD combined solution serving as reference solution. The accuracy of the orbits shows up in radial direction for all techniques and combinations with values of 0.60 to 0.82 cm. In transverse and normal direction the RMS values achieved with GPS are up to around 50% lower as with DORIS, which sizes at around 1.5–2 cm. Subsequently the reference points of the observation techniques were estimated. With a multi-technique approach, a center-of-mass deviation according to Montenbruck et al. (2017) could be reproduced for Sentinel-3A. In addition, for both Sentinel-3 satellites the DORIS reference point values show a deviation in normal direction of 8–9 mm and a drift in radial direction of about 3 mm/year with respect to manufacturer’s data, reference point values for Sentinel-6A (MF) show a good agreement. With the confidence gained on the DORIS-only orbit solutions, weekly local reference frames are computed for each of the three satellites as well as a combined solution and evaluated in terms of the reference frame defining parameters, i.e. origin, scale, and orientation. The accuracy achieved here is in the range of a few mm to cm region. The scale remains stable, except for Sentinel-3A, which shows a scale drift of about −1.5 mm/year, whose cause is not clear yet. Standard deviations of station coordinate residuals (North, East, Up) are in the range of 2–4 mm, 5–9 mm and 5–7 mm respectively.