GPS Calibration of Satellite Tracking Stations

J.G. Rudd, R.J. Peterson and D.A. Criswell

Abstract:	For more than three decades the Air Force Satellite Control Network and related agencies have provided precise satellite ephemerides for users of military space assets. In recent years there has been increasing competition for the use of AFSCN assets, particularly the Remote Tracking Stations; and simultaneously some users have expressed a need for greater accuracy in the ephemerides that are obtained through these assets. To address these issues we propose straightforward but powerful system wide estimation procedures to calibrate and remove system bias errors in RTS ranging measurements, ground station antenna geoposition values, ground station antenna delay values, and satellite transponder delay values. To achieve the most accurate orbital ephemerides, we advocate an approach that estimates all of these values together in a way that is consistent across the entire system. This paper describes how we used a single GPS satellite (SVN 43) for precise calibration of these data base values, and how this enabled a dramatic improvement in accuracy of estimated orbital ephemerides for the satellites that we studied. Alternatively, for a specified level of ephemeris accuracy, this approach can reduce the AFSCN assets that are required to achieve it.
Published in:	Proceedings of the 2000 National Technical Meeting of The Institute of Navigation January 26 - 28, 2000 Pacific Hotel Disneyland Anaheim, CA
Pages:	763 - 767
Cite this article:	Rudd, J.G., Peterson, R.J., Criswell, D.A., "GPS Calibration of Satellite Tracking Stations," Proceedings of the 2000 National Technical Meeting of The Institute of Navigation, Anaheim, CA, January 2000, pp. 763-767.
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