An initial characterization and performance assessment of the COMPASS/BeiDou-2 regional navigation system is presented. Code and carrier phase measurements on up to three frequencies have been collected in March 2012 with a small regional network of monitoring stations. The signal and measurement quality are analyzed and compared with the Japanese Quasi Zenith Satellite System. A high level of stability is demonstrated for the inter-frequency carrier phase biases, which will facilitate the application of triple-frequency undifferenced ambiguity resolution techniques in future precise point positioning applications. The performance of the onboard Rubidium frequency standards is evaluated in comparison to ground-based hydrogen masers and shown to be well competitive with other GNSS satellite clocks. Precise orbit and clock solutions obtained in post-processing are used to study the presently achievable point positioning accuracy in COMPASS/BeiDou-2-only navigation. Finally, the benefit of triple-frequency measurements and extra-wide-lane ambiguity resolution is illustrated for relative positioning on a short baseline.

Initial assessment of the COMPASS/BeiDou-2 regional navigation satellite system

We report on the implementation and metrological characterization of a vapour-cell Rb frequency standard working in a pulsed regime. The three main parts of the clock, physics package, optics and electronics, are described in detail in this paper. The prototype is designed and optimized to detect the clock transition in the optical domain. Specifically, the reference atomic transition, excited with a Ramsey scheme, is detected by observing the interference pattern on a laser absorption signal. The metrological analysis includes the observation and characterization of the clock signal and the measurement of frequency stability and drift. In terms of Allan deviation, the measured frequency stability is as low as 1.7 × 10−13τ−1/2, τ being the averaging time, and reaches the value of a few units of 10−15 for τ = 104 s, an unprecedented result for a vapour-cell clock. We discuss the physical effects leading to this result in this paper with particular care to laser and microwave noises transferred to the clock signal. The frequency drift, probably related to temperature, stays below 10−14 per day, and no evidence of flicker floor is observed. We also mention some possible improvements that in principle would lead to a clock stability below the 10−13 level at 1 s and to a drift of a few units of 10−15 per day.

http://rime.inrim.it/labafs/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2015/03/16.pdf

Metrological characterization of the pulsed Rb clock with optical detection

Two-way satellite time and frequency transfer (TWSTFT) has become an important technical component in the process of the realization of International Atomic Time. To employ the full potential of the technique, especially for true time transfer, a dedicated calibration is necessary. This consists of the calibration either of the operational link at large, including every component involved, or of the involved ground stations' internal delays only. Both modes were successfully employed by circulating and operating a portable reference station between the sites involved. In this paper, we summarize the theoretical background for the different calibration modes applied and report examples of results from the 13 calibration campaigns performed up to now in Europe and between Europe and the United States. In all of these exercises, estimated uncertainties around 1?ns were achieved. Consecutive campaigns showed a very good reproducibility at the nanosecond level. Additionally, we address and briefly discuss sources that possibly limit the uncertainty for true time transfer employing TWSTFT.

/pdf/time-transfer-with-nanosecond-accuracy-for-the-realization-39phu1ny1f.pdf

Time transfer with nanosecond accuracy for the realization of International Atomic Time

This paper introduces a new approach for modeling solar radiation pressure (SRP) effects on Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSSs). It focuses on the Galileo In-Orbit Validation (IOV) satellites, for which obvious SRP modeling deficits can be identified in presently available precise orbit products. To overcome these problems, the estimation of empirical accelerations in the Sun direction (D), solar panel axis (Y) and the orthogonal (B) axis is complemented by an a priori model accounting for the contribution of the rectangular spacecraft body. Other than the GPS satellites, which comprise an almost cubic body, the Galileo IOV satellites exhibit a notably rectangular shape with a ratio of about 2:1 for the main body axes. Use of the a priori box model allows to properly model the varying cross section exposed to the Sun during yaw-steering attitude mode and helps to remove systematic once-per-revolution orbit errors that have so far affected the Galileo orbit determination. Parameters of a simple a priori cuboid model suitable for the IOV satellites are established from the analysis of a long-term set of GNSS observations collected with the global network of the Multi-GNSS Experiment of the International GNSS Service. The model is finally demonstrated to reduce the peak magnitude of radial orbit errors from presently 20 cm down to 5 cm outside eclipse phases.

Enhanced solar radiation pressure modeling for Galileo satellites

A characterization of the short-term stability of the atomic frequency standards onboard GNSS satellites is presented. Clock performance is evaluated using two different methods. The first method derives the temporal variation of the satellite's clock from a polynomial fit through 1-way carrier-phase measurements from a receiver directly connected to a high-precision atomic frequency standard. Alternatively, three-way measurements using inter-station single differences of a second satellite from a neighboring station are used if the receiver's clock stability at the station tracking the satellite of interest is not sufficient. The second method is a Kalman-filter-based clock estimation based on dual-frequency pseudorange and carrier-phase measurements from a small global or regional tracking network. Both methods are introduced and their respective advantages and disadvantages are discussed. The analysis section presents a characterization of GPS, GLONASS, GIOVE, Galileo IOV, QZSS, and COMPASS clocks based on these two methods. Special focus has been set on the frequency standards of new generation satellites like GPS Block IIF, QZSS, and IOV as well as the Chinese COMPASS/BeiDou-2 system. The analysis shows results for the Allan deviation covering averaging intervals from 1 to 1,000 s, which is of special interest for real-time PPP and other high-rate applications like processing of radio-occultation measurements. The clock interpolation errors for different sampling rates are evaluated for different types of clocks and their effect on PPP is discussed.

Short-term analysis of GNSS clocks

Due to their stability atomic clocks represent the core of navigation systems such as GPS and the future European Galileo system. To identify possible anomalies, it is fundamental to detect when the clock stability varies with time. The dynamic Allan variance (DAVAR) makes this monitoring process possible. We extend the DAVAR to the case of a time series with missing data, and we analyze the presence of periodic behaviors, two common phenomena in space clocks.

Application of the Dynamic Allan Variance for the Characterization of Space Clock Behavior

The Galileo In-Orbit Validation Element (GIOVE) is an experiment led by the European Space Agency (ESA) aimed at supporting the on-going implementation of Galileo, the European global navigation satellite system (GNSS). Among the objectives of the GIOVE Mission are the validation and characterization of the on-board clock technologies. The current baseline technologies for on-board clocks are the rubidium atomic frequency standard (RAFS) and the passive hydrogen maser (PHM). Both technologies have been validated and qualified on ground and are now being further validated in a representative in-orbit environment aboard 2 spacecrafts, GIOVE-A and GIOVE-B. This paper presents the results obtained in the frame of the GIOVE experimentation. The behavior and performances of the clock technologies on board both spacecrafts has been investigated and analyzed in terms of operation, frequency stability, and clock prediction error after more than 3 years of operation for GIOVE-A and almost one year for GIOVE-B. In addition, relativistic frequency shifts of GIOVE spacecrafts have been investigated.

The In-Orbit performances of GIOVE clocks

The ability of the Allan variance (AVAR) to identify and estimate the typical clock noise is widely accepted, and its use is recommended by international standards. Recently, a time-varying version called Dynamic Allan variance (DAVAR) was suggested and exploited.Currently, the AVAR is commonly used in applications to space and satellite systems, in particular in monitoring the clocks of the Global Positioning System, and also in the framework of the European project Galileo. In these applications stability estimation, either AVAR or DAVAR (or other similar variances), presents some peculiar aspects which are not commonly encountered when the clock data are measured in a laboratory. In particular, data from space clocks may typically present outliers and missing values. Hence, special attention has to be paid when dealing with such experimental measurements.In this work we propose an estimation algorithm and its implementation in a robust software code (in MATLAB® language) able to estimate the AVAR in the case of missing data, unequally spaced data, outliers, and with long periods of missing observation, so that the Allan variance estimates turn out unbiased and with the maximum use of all the available data.

https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/0026-1394/45/6/S19/pdf

Estimating the Allan variance in the presence of long periods of missing data and outliers

Within the GIOVE Mission (GIOVE-M), two experimental satellites called GIOVE-A and GIOVE-B have been launched by the European Space Agency. This paper analyses the different issues involved in GPS/GIOVE interoperability for positioning and timing, including GGTO (the GPS to Galileo time offset) and timing biases, and presents practical experience and results related to EGGTO, the GIOVE-M experimental version of GGTO broadcast within the GIOVE navigation messages.

http://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/0026-1394/45/6/S14/pdf

GNSS interoperability: offset between reference time scales and timing biases*

Two-way satellite time and frequency transfer (TWSTFT) has become an important component in the international network for comparing time scales. To employ the full potential of the technique a calibration of the internal delay of each ground station is necessary. Only a few calibration campaigns have previously been carried out in the European network of TWSTFT links. We report on the first recalibration of TWSTFT links during a campaign involving six European time institutes. The campaign was performed using a portable ground station assembled and operated by TUG/Joanneum Research, Graz, that visited the sites of INRIM, NPL, OP, PTB, SP, and VSL, travelling a total distance over 7000 km during a three-week period in October/November 2005. Differential delays of earth stations were determined in the common clock mode relative to the portable station. Combined uncertainties ranging from 0.9 ns to 1.3 ns for all calibrated links were achieved in this campaign.

/pdf/calibration-of-six-european-twstft-earth-stations-using-a-1gez3cx66m.pdf

Ilaria Sesia

Papers

Application of the Dynamic Allan Variance for the Characterization of Space Clock Behavior

The In-Orbit performances of GIOVE clocks

Estimating the Allan variance in the presence of long periods of missing data and outliers

GNSS interoperability: offset between reference time scales and timing biases*

Calibration of six European TWSTFT earth stations using a portable station