Relay Satellite Orbit Determination

Orbit Determination from Tracking and Data Relay Satellite Measurements

TDRSOD estimates the epoch state and surface-force coefficients of a low-Earth user satellite together with one or more Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS) vehicles from four-way range measurements. The packaged demonstration processes UARS plus TDRS-4 and TDRS-5 on 1 September 1999 using White Sands stations 161 and 162.

The dynamical model, coordinate transformations, and variational-equation formulation follow Montenbruck and Gill, Satellite Orbits: Models, Methods and Applications (Springer, 2005). Time, polar motion, and nutation follow IERS Conventions; planetary positions come from JPL DE440; Earth orientation and space weather files are the CelesTrak EOP-All and SW-All products.

Version 3.3.0 keeps the 3.2.2 estimation architecture (batch Gauss–Newton, four-way range, eight parameters per satellite) and updates the force model, gravity gradient, and iteration control. A typical run of the packaged case reduces the four-way range residuals to a mean of 0.02 m and an RMS of 1.91 m after four iterations.

References:

• Montenbruck O., Gill E., Satellite Orbits: Models, Methods, and Applications, Springer, Heidelberg, corrected 3rd printing, 2005.
• Vallado D. A., Fundamentals of Astrodynamics and Applications, 4th ed., 2013.
• Petit G., Luzum B. (eds.), IERS Conventions (2010), IERS Technical Note No. 36.
• Knocke P. C., Ries J. C., Tapley B. D., Earth Radiation Pressure Effects on Satellites, AIAA/AAS Astrodynamics Conference, Minneapolis, 1988.
• Picone J. M. et al., NRLMSISE-00 empirical atmosphere, J. Geophys. Res., 2002.
• Tapley B. et al., GGM03C/GGM03S gravity models, CSR.
• JPL Planetary and Lunar Ephemerides DE440, https://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/planets/eph_export.html
• CelesTrak Earth orientation: https://celestrak.org/SpaceData/EOP-All.txt
• CelesTrak space weather: https://celestrak.org/SpaceData/SW-All.txt
• IERS FES2004 ocean-tide coefficients, Conventions (2010) Chapter 6.