Triple-Pair Constellation Configurations for Temporal Gravity Field Retrieval
The goal of next-generation gravity missions (NGGM) is to improve the monitoring of mass transport in the Earth system by an increased space-time sampling capability as well as higher accuracies of a new generation of instrumentation, but also to continue the monitoring time series obtained by past...
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| Format: | Article |
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MDPI AG
2020-03-01
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| Series: | Remote Sensing |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/12/5/831 |
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| author | Anna F. Purkhauser Roland Pail |
| author_facet | Anna F. Purkhauser Roland Pail |
| author_sort | Anna F. Purkhauser |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The goal of next-generation gravity missions (NGGM) is to improve the monitoring of mass transport in the Earth system by an increased space-time sampling capability as well as higher accuracies of a new generation of instrumentation, but also to continue the monitoring time series obtained by past and current missions such as GRACE and GRACE Follow-On. As the likelihood of three satellite pairs being simultaneously in orbit in the mid-term future increased, we have performed a closed-loop simulation to investigate the impact of a third pair in either polar or inclined orbit as an addition to a Bender-type constellation with NGGM instrumentation. For the additional pair, GRACE-like as well as NGGM instrumentation was tested. The analysis showed that the third pair mainly increases the redundancy of the monitoring system but does not significantly improve de-aliasing capabilities. The best-performing triple-pair scenario comprises a third inclined pair with NGGM sensors. Starting with a Bender-type constellation of a polar and an inclined satellite pair, simulation results indicate an average improvement of 11% in case of adding the third pair in a near-polar orbit, and of 21% for the third pair placed in an inclined orbit. The most important advantage of a multi-pair constellation, however, is the possibility to recover daily gravity fields with higher spatial resolution. In the case of the investigated triple-pair scenarios, a meaningful daily resolution with a maximum spherical harmonic degree of 26 can be achieved, while a higher daily parametrization up to degree 40 results in spatial aliasing and thus would need additional constraints or prior information. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T18:01:48Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4d70414bc7b843cb82dcb952be9c9e5a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2072-4292 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T18:01:48Z |
| publishDate | 2020-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Remote Sensing |
| spelling | doaj.art-4d70414bc7b843cb82dcb952be9c9e5a2022-12-22T04:10:26ZengMDPI AGRemote Sensing2072-42922020-03-0112583110.3390/rs12050831rs12050831Triple-Pair Constellation Configurations for Temporal Gravity Field RetrievalAnna F. Purkhauser0Roland Pail1Chair of Astronomical and Physical Geodesy, Technical University of Munich, Arcisstraße 21, 80333 Munich, GermanyChair of Astronomical and Physical Geodesy, Technical University of Munich, Arcisstraße 21, 80333 Munich, GermanyThe goal of next-generation gravity missions (NGGM) is to improve the monitoring of mass transport in the Earth system by an increased space-time sampling capability as well as higher accuracies of a new generation of instrumentation, but also to continue the monitoring time series obtained by past and current missions such as GRACE and GRACE Follow-On. As the likelihood of three satellite pairs being simultaneously in orbit in the mid-term future increased, we have performed a closed-loop simulation to investigate the impact of a third pair in either polar or inclined orbit as an addition to a Bender-type constellation with NGGM instrumentation. For the additional pair, GRACE-like as well as NGGM instrumentation was tested. The analysis showed that the third pair mainly increases the redundancy of the monitoring system but does not significantly improve de-aliasing capabilities. The best-performing triple-pair scenario comprises a third inclined pair with NGGM sensors. Starting with a Bender-type constellation of a polar and an inclined satellite pair, simulation results indicate an average improvement of 11% in case of adding the third pair in a near-polar orbit, and of 21% for the third pair placed in an inclined orbit. The most important advantage of a multi-pair constellation, however, is the possibility to recover daily gravity fields with higher spatial resolution. In the case of the investigated triple-pair scenarios, a meaningful daily resolution with a maximum spherical harmonic degree of 26 can be achieved, while a higher daily parametrization up to degree 40 results in spatial aliasing and thus would need additional constraints or prior information.https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/12/5/831future gravity missionstime variable gravitynear-real timenumerical simulationspherical harmonics |
| spellingShingle | Anna F. Purkhauser Roland Pail Triple-Pair Constellation Configurations for Temporal Gravity Field Retrieval Remote Sensing future gravity missions time variable gravity near-real time numerical simulation spherical harmonics |
| title | Triple-Pair Constellation Configurations for Temporal Gravity Field Retrieval |
| title_full | Triple-Pair Constellation Configurations for Temporal Gravity Field Retrieval |
| title_fullStr | Triple-Pair Constellation Configurations for Temporal Gravity Field Retrieval |
| title_full_unstemmed | Triple-Pair Constellation Configurations for Temporal Gravity Field Retrieval |
| title_short | Triple-Pair Constellation Configurations for Temporal Gravity Field Retrieval |
| title_sort | triple pair constellation configurations for temporal gravity field retrieval |
| topic | future gravity missions time variable gravity near-real time numerical simulation spherical harmonics |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/12/5/831 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT annafpurkhauser triplepairconstellationconfigurationsfortemporalgravityfieldretrieval AT rolandpail triplepairconstellationconfigurationsfortemporalgravityfieldretrieval |