Hi Tom and Mike and all,

I suppose we weren’t talking about DUT1 time signals?

See http://futureofutc.org/2011/program/presentations/AAS_11-675_Malys.pptx.pdf 
for details about the flipside question of operating a GNSS constellation 
(current as of a dozen years ago).

One shouldn’t find it surprising (at least, I don’t find it surprising) if 
navigating and calibrating constellations of Earth-orbiting satellites requires 
knowledge of Earth orientation. At some point during the 2011 Exton workshop, 
there was a discussion of GPS being able to detect motions due to plate 
tectonics. Earth orientation doesn’t necessarily need to be provided in terms 
of UT1, and the temporal geophysicists presumably need higher-order moments as 
well. One doubts the majority of satellites need such precision.

Rob

On 1/2/24, 7:45 AM, "LEAPSECS" wrote:


External Email

Hi Mike,

> the system needs an estimate of current UT1

Can you give some references to your observation? I don't recall seeing UT1 
mentioned in the first couple of decades of GPS documentation. The system runs 
on GPS time, the WGS84 coordinate system, broadcast ephemeris including SV 
clock corrections. Where does UT1 appear in those?

> That estimate is applied internally so the end user does not need to know the 
> details

Right, the user is shielded from many details. But I didn't think even GPS 
receivers had knowledge of UT1, nor the satellites themselves. So where in "the 
system" does UT1 apply?

Thanks,
/tvb

On 12/28/2023 1:23 AM, Mike Hapgood - STFC UKRI via LEAPSECS wrote:
Jim outlines a calculation I've done many times. But there's a similar 
calculation for GNSS systems (GPS, Galileo, Beidou, etc). If you want to use 
GNSS to determine positions on Earth's surface to accuracy of a few metres, the 
system needs an estimate of current UT1 accurate at least to a few 
milliseconds. That estimate is applied internally so the end user does not need 
to know the details, just as that user does not need to know about the 
relativistic clock corrections or corrections for ionospheric signal delay that 
also underpin safe use of GPS. But the bottom line is that knowledge of UT1 
(i.e. the spin phase of the Earth) is essential for GNSS - and many other space 
systems.

Mike

_______________________________________________
LEAPSECS mailing list
LEAPSECS@leapsecond.com
https://pairlist6.pair.net/mailman/listinfo/leapsecs

Reply via email to