GFZ Global Multi-GNSS Network and Data Processing Results

Abstract

The Helmholtz Centre Potsdam GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) is operating a worldwide Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) station network since many years. With recent developments in receiver technology and new upcoming navigation satellite systems like Galileo an upgrade of our stations was needed to track all GNSS. We will present the current status and setup of our station network and the plan for future upgrades. All modernized stations are presently contributing to the Multi-GNSS EXperiment (MGEX) of the International GNSS Service (IGS) as well as to the COoperative Network of GNSS Observations (CONGO). Selected results from a combined GPS/Galileo data processing will be shown. The used data were taken mainly from the public available MGEX network whereas the focus of analysis lies on precise orbit and clock determination of Galileo In-Orbit-Validation (IOV) satellites. Quality assessments are given which are based on orbit overlap statistics, clock stabilities as well as comparisons with external solutions. Additionally an independent validation of the orbits is derived through Satellite Laser Ranging (SLR) measurements. Furthermore some initial results of BeiDou data processing are shown which were derived with an experimental set of MGEX data.