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Chapter 3 <strong>Orbit</strong> Tracking <strong>System</strong> and Their Error Budgets<br />

Figure 3-6 ERS PRARE vs <strong>Precise</strong> <strong>Orbit</strong> Comparison (From ESOC Homepage:<br />

http:\\nng.esoc.esa.de\ers\prare\ocompo.html)<br />

PRARE is an autonomous, space-borne, all-weather, dual frequency, two-way microwave system with ranging<br />

and ranging rate measurements for application <strong>of</strong> high-precision orbit determination. The ground station network<br />

is operated continuously and is fully automatic. The time errors are significantly reduced using two way<br />

measurements. The most part <strong>of</strong> the ionospheric error can be eliminated using dual frequency measurements. In<br />

addition, PRARE can also determine the position <strong>of</strong> the ground stations.<br />

A disadvantage is, that the use <strong>of</strong> two-way measurements can also increase the propagation errors. The principle<br />

error sources limiting accuracy <strong>of</strong> PRARE system is the error produced by the atmospheric refraction effects and<br />

internal delays.<br />

In principle, PRARE can be used for orbit determination <strong>of</strong> GNSS-2 satellites, but has some problems like<br />

DORIS, i.e. low accuracy <strong>of</strong> Doppler measurements for GEO and IGSO satellites.<br />

3.2.3 Inter-<strong>Satellite</strong>-Links (ISL)<br />

3.2.3.1 Principle<br />

Inter-<strong>Satellite</strong>-Links require at least two satellites. One satellite is called orbiting platform, for which the orbit<br />

should be determined using other tracking systems, usually ground-based tracking systems. Another is user<br />

satellite the orbit <strong>of</strong> which will be determined by orbiting platform satellite. One- and/or two-way observations<br />

among satellites have been used so far to measure their relative position and velocity. At present, two models <strong>of</strong><br />

ISL exist, a low-low model and a high-low model. The low-low model is used for satellites flying at low altitude,<br />

i.e. a few hundred <strong>of</strong> kilometers apart. The main satellite (the orbiting platform) tracks two or more user<br />

satellites. The high-low model describes the situation, where a high orbiting satellite carries an intersatellite<br />

measurement device that tracks a low orbiting satellite. The coverage for the high-low model is substantially<br />

smaller than that for the low-low model, only about 1/5 <strong>of</strong> the coverage <strong>of</strong> a low-low configuration (Mueller et<br />

al, 1988, Blaha 1991, Feltman 1999).<br />

The first application <strong>of</strong> high-low intersatellite links between two satellites in orbit around the Earth started in<br />

April 1975 with a tracking experiment between the geostationary ATS-6 satellite and GEOS-3 at an altitude <strong>of</strong><br />

840 kilometer (Schmid et al., 1975). The ISL data has been used for the orbit computation <strong>of</strong> the low altitude<br />

satellites. During this experiment both one-way and two-way range and range-rate data were obtained over the<br />

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