Fachbereich Physik und Astronomie

Additional Courses and Seminars

Satellite Geodesy

Course description

This lecture gives an overview on the satellite/space geodesy.

Methods and satellite systems are discussed that are used for various scientific purposes today. The main focus is on those techniques that are used to realize the global coordinate frame: Satellite Laser Ranging (SLR), Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI), as well as Global Satellite Navigation Systeme (GNSS). In particular the GNSS technique gets a dedicated role as the method with the lowest cost an best distribution of tracking stations. Today two systems are fully operational: GPS (Global Positioning System) and GLONASS (Global Navigation Satellite System).

In the second part different aspects and applications are discussed, that are important for the analysis of measurement data with highest accuracy requirements. This section covers the modeling of the satellite orbits, the propagation characteristics in the Earth's atmosphere, or the modeling of station movements on the Earth's crust.

As a special application GPS receivers on board of Low Earth orbiting satellites are demonstrated and resulting applications are discussed.

The lecture is designed for students with emphasis on astronomy in the master or bachelor (without exercises) program. Interested students from other courses are invited, too. There are no special pre-requirements to follow the lectures. For students in the Master course dedicated aspects will be discussed in deep in the frame of exercises using the "Bernese GNSS Software" developed at AIUB.

Literature

  • Bernese GNSS Software
    Rolf Dach et al., User Manual