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Use of Global Positioning System Measurements to Determine Geocentric Coordinates and Variations in Earth OrientationGeocentric tracking station coordinates and short-period Earth-orientation variations can be measured with Global Positioning System (GPS) measurements. Unless calibrated, geocentric coordinate errors and changes in Earth orientation can lead to significant deep-space tracking errors. Ground-based GPS estimates of daily and subdaily changes in Earth orientation presently show centimeter-level precision. Comparison between GPS-estimated Earth-rotation variations, which are the differences between Universal Time 1 and Universal Coordinated Time (UT1-UTC), and those calculated from ocean tide models suggests that observed subdaily variations in Earth rotation are dominated by oceanic tidal effects. Preliminary GPS estimates for the geocenter location (from a 3-week experiment) agree with independent satellite laser-ranging estimates to better than 10 cm. Covariance analysis predicts that temporal resolution of GPS estimates for Earth orientation and geocenter improves significantly when data collected from low Earth-orbiting satellites as well as from ground sites are combined. The low Earth GPS tracking data enhance the accuracy and resolution for measuring high-frequency global geodynamical signals over time scales of less than 1 day.
Document ID
19940009899
Acquisition Source
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Document Type
Other - Technical Report
Authors
R P Malla (Sterling Software Pasadena, California., United States)
S -C Wu (Jet Propulsion Lab La Cañada Flintridge, California, United States)
S M Lichten (Jet Propulsion Lab La Cañada Flintridge, California, United States)
Date Acquired
September 6, 2013
Publication Date
August 15, 1993
Publication Information
Publication: The Telecommunications and Data Acquisition Report
Publisher: National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Subject Category
Space Communications, Spacecraft Communications, Command and Tracking
Report/Patent Number
NASA-CR-194388
Accession Number
94N14372
Funding Number(s)
PROJECT: RTOP 310-10-61-84-02
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Public Use Permitted.

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IDRelationTitle19940009896Collected WorksThe Telecommunications and Data Acquisition Report
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