Geocenter motion estimation from multi-GNSS: current status and benefits of BDS-3 Inter-satellite links
摘要
The Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) inherently exhibits sensitivity to geocenter motion. Inter-satellite links (ISLs) play a crucial role in both current and future GNSS developments, with the potential to offer enhanced precision and robustness in geocenter motion derived from GNSS. In this study, we investigate geocenter motion determined by individual GNSS systems and the combined multi-GNSS based on L-band and ISL data. L-band solutions show that the a priori solar radiation pressure (SRP) model reduces the STandard Deviations (STD) of the BDS-based geocenter coordinates X (GCC-X), Y (GCC-Y), and Z (GCC-Z) components by approximately 17%, 20%, and 69%, respectively. The inclusion of BDS observations significantly improves the stability of single-system solutions, with the STD of GCC-Z reduced by 3.1 mm, 7.0 mm, and 0.7 mm for GPS-only, GLONASS-only, and Galileo-only solutions, respectively. The GCC derived from the combined BDS/GPS/GLONASS/Galileo solutions is the most reliable, as it effectively reduces scatter, particularly in the high‑frequency (2–40 days) and draconitic (40–150 days) bands. In comparison to the L-band solutions, the joint processing solution combining L-band and ISL observations exhibits improved consistency between Satellite Laser Ranging (SLR) and BDS-based GCC, with a reduction in the STD of GCC-Z ranging from 23% to 67% depending on the SRP model used. Furthermore, the formal errors of BDS-based GCC-Z have been reduced by approximately 50%, and its correlations with the orbit‑Z direction, D0, Bc1, and Dc2 have been significantly weakened. Notably, the additional ISL observations help to resist spurious draconitic signals in the GCC time series, regardless of whether based BDS or multi-GNSS solutions, with a particularly significant impact on the 3rd and high-frequency artifacts.