PROBA-3 Precise Orbit Determination based on GNSS Observations

Werner Enderle, Francesco Gini, Erik Schönemann, Volker Mayer

Abstract:	ESA’s PROBA-3 mission will demonstrate high-precision formation-flying of a pair of satellites in a High Eccentric Orbit (HEO) with new developed in-orbit technologies. It is a solar coronagraph science experiment consisting of two spacecraft, where the telescope of the solar coronagraph is mounted on one spacecraft, while the other spacecraft is maneuvered to block the solar disk as seen from the coronagraph spacecraft. The launch of the spacecraft is expected in late 2020. The PROBA-3 spacecraft pair will fly divided between periods of accurate formation flying, when payload observations will be possible, and periods of free flight. Each spacecraft will be able to maneuver itself. The typical separation distance between the two spacecraft will be about 200 m and 2 km, depending on the orbital phase. For the simulations, a separation distance of 200 m has been used. As the second spacecraft carrying the occultation disk is maneuvered relative to the primary spacecraft with the coronagraph on-board both spacecraft are considered to fly in the same orbit. ESA’s Navigation Support Office, located at the European Space Operations Centre in Darmstadt, Germany will use this ESA mission to test, analyze and demonstrate advanced concepts for spacecraft Precise Orbit Determination. This paper will provide an overview of the expected performance for absolute- and relative satellite POD for the PROBA-3 mission, based on simulations conducted in the preparation for this mission.
Published in:	Proceedings of the 32nd International Technical Meeting of the Satellite Division of The Institute of Navigation (ION GNSS+ 2019) September 16 - 20, 2019 Hyatt Regency Miami Miami, Florida
Pages:	1187 - 1198
Cite this article:	Enderle, Werner, Gini, Francesco, Schönemann, Erik, Mayer, Volker, "PROBA-3 Precise Orbit Determination based on GNSS Observations," Proceedings of the 32nd International Technical Meeting of the Satellite Division of The Institute of Navigation (ION GNSS+ 2019), Miami, Florida, September 2019, pp. 1187-1198. https://doi.org/10.33012/2019.17083
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