Improvement of the Laser Satellite Ranging Means and Methods
Transactions of IAA RAS, issue 74, 30–36 (2025)
DOI: 10.32876/ApplAstron.74.30-36
Keywords: laser rangefinder, Earth rotation parameters, spacecraft, calibration, time scales comparison
About the paper Full textAbstract
Spacecraft laser ranging is one of the important, metrologically traceable fundamental support method for the GLONASS system. The Main Metrology Center of the State Service for Time, Frequency and Earth Rotation Parameters Determination (GSVCh MMC) operates two laser ranging systems: MMKOS “Sazhen-TM-BIS” and the new generation laser station “Tochka”. Their connection with the State Special Standard for the Length Unit and the Time and Frequency State Standard provides a direct metrological basis for measurements. However, with the advent and development of global navigation systems, VLBI, and the improvements in the DORIS system, the proportion of laser ranging measurements in the overall data set has significantly decreased. Nevertheless, SLR remains one of the most precise measurement tools in this field, which ensures its continued active use and development. Recently, it has been recognized that existing technologies do not replace but rather complement each other. Furthermore, the demands of specialized users for increased accuracy in Earth's gravity field models, pole coordinates, scales, sea level, and the direction of the local vertical at various points are growing. This necessitates ongoing enhancement of tools and methods to meet modern requirements. To obtain unbiased estimates, laser ranging stations undergo a calibration procedure. The accumulated experience, along with the introduction of new calibration methods during observation sessions, as well as processing methods and algorithms, allow to increase the obtained results accuracy — even under unfavorable observations conditions. Based on the experiments, measurement and processing methods have been developed in order to compare time scales using laser ranging. The achieved results open new opportunities for comparing remote time scales and for initiating new research areas.
Citation
I. Yu. Ignatenko, I. V. Bezmenov, V. A. Emelyanov, G. I. Modestova, E. V. Burmistrov, V. N. Tryapitsyn. Improvement of the Laser Satellite Ranging Means and Methods // Transactions of IAA RAS. — 2025. — Issue 74. — P. 30–36.
@article{ignatenko2025,
abstract = {Spacecraft laser ranging is one of the important, metrologically traceable fundamental support method for the GLONASS system. The Main Metrology Center of the State Service for Time, Frequency and Earth Rotation Parameters Determination (GSVCh MMC) operates two laser ranging systems: MMKOS “Sazhen-TM-BIS” and the new generation laser station “Tochka”. Their connection with the State Special Standard for the Length Unit and the Time and Frequency State Standard provides a direct metrological basis for measurements. However, with the advent and development of global navigation systems, VLBI, and the improvements in the DORIS system, the proportion of laser ranging measurements in the overall data set has significantly decreased. Nevertheless, SLR remains one of the most precise measurement tools in this field, which ensures its continued active use and development. Recently, it has been recognized that existing technologies do not replace but rather complement each other. Furthermore, the demands of specialized users for increased accuracy in Earth's gravity field models, pole coordinates, scales, sea level, and the direction of the local vertical at various points are growing. This necessitates ongoing enhancement of tools and methods to meet modern requirements.
To obtain unbiased estimates, laser ranging stations undergo a calibration procedure. The accumulated experience, along with the introduction of new calibration methods during observation sessions, as well as processing methods and algorithms, allow to increase the obtained results accuracy — even under unfavorable observations conditions. Based on the experiments, measurement and processing methods have been developed in order to compare time scales using laser ranging.
The achieved results open new opportunities for comparing remote time scales and for initiating new research areas.},
author = {I.~Yu. Ignatenko and I.~V. Bezmenov and V.~A. Emelyanov and G.~I. Modestova and E.~V. Burmistrov and V.~N. Tryapitsyn},
doi = {10.32876/ApplAstron.74.30-36},
issue = {74},
journal = {Transactions of IAA RAS},
keyword = {laser rangefinder, Earth rotation parameters, spacecraft, calibration, time scales comparison},
pages = {30--36},
title = {Improvement of the Laser Satellite Ranging Means and Methods},
url = {http://iaaras.ru/en/library/paper/2221/},
year = {2025}
}
TY - JOUR
TI - Improvement of the Laser Satellite Ranging Means and Methods
AU - Ignatenko, I. Yu.
AU - Bezmenov, I. V.
AU - Emelyanov, V. A.
AU - Modestova, G. I.
AU - Burmistrov, E. V.
AU - Tryapitsyn, V. N.
PY - 2025
T2 - Transactions of IAA RAS
IS - 74
SP - 30
AB - Spacecraft laser ranging is one of the important, metrologically
traceable fundamental support method for the GLONASS system. The Main
Metrology Center of the State Service for Time, Frequency and Earth
Rotation Parameters Determination (GSVCh MMC) operates two laser
ranging systems: MMKOS “Sazhen-TM-BIS” and the new generation laser
station “Tochka”. Their connection with the State Special Standard
for the Length Unit and the Time and Frequency State Standard
provides a direct metrological basis for measurements. However, with
the advent and development of global navigation systems, VLBI, and
the improvements in the DORIS system, the proportion of laser ranging
measurements in the overall data set has significantly decreased.
Nevertheless, SLR remains one of the most precise measurement tools
in this field, which ensures its continued active use and
development. Recently, it has been recognized that existing
technologies do not replace but rather complement each other.
Furthermore, the demands of specialized users for increased accuracy
in Earth's gravity field models, pole coordinates, scales, sea
level, and the direction of the local vertical at various points are
growing. This necessitates ongoing enhancement of tools and methods
to meet modern requirements. To obtain unbiased estimates, laser
ranging stations undergo a calibration procedure. The accumulated
experience, along with the introduction of new calibration methods
during observation sessions, as well as processing methods and
algorithms, allow to increase the obtained results accuracy — even
under unfavorable observations conditions. Based on the experiments,
measurement and processing methods have been developed in order to
compare time scales using laser ranging. The achieved results open
new opportunities for comparing remote time scales and for initiating
new research areas.
DO - 10.32876/ApplAstron.74.30-36
UR - http://iaaras.ru/en/library/paper/2221/
ER -