Global Laser Ranging Observation of Beidou Satellites and Data Application

Accurate determination of satellite orbit is the foundation of providing the navigational service for navigation satellite system. Beidou navigation system is the new generation of navigation satellite system which has been developed independently in China. The Beidou satellites are equipped with laser retro-reflectors and the satellite laser ranging with the precision of centimeter or millimeter-level is regarded as the independent external calibration for the accurate measurement of Beidou satellite orbit and the microwave measurement system. In order to increase the laser observation performance of Beidou satellites, the improvements of daylight laser beam monitor, telescope fine tracking, noise filtering and so on are made, which make Shanghai laser station the first one to observe the synchronous orbit satellites in the daytime among the global laser ranging stations. Based on the international laser ranging observation mechanism, the global laser ranging campaign for Beidou satellites observation experiments is being implemented. Laser observation data of about 28 laser stations are obtained, which compensate the limitation of domestic stations. This provides a way for the domestic satellites to obtain the observation data of foreign stations. Using laser observation data from the global stations, the studies of the independent orbit determination and checking the accuracy of broadcast ephemeris for Beidou satellites are carried out. The results are applied in the performance evaluation of Beidou navigation satellite system. © 2017, Chinese Lasers Press. All right reserved.