JPL Planetary Gravity Efforts and Techniques
The Magellan spacecraft has provided the highest resolution global gravity data set from spacecraft measurements. The X-band Doppler tracking is sensitive to harmonic degree of 120 or greater. We have developed a 75th degree and order global spherical harmonic model using a spatial constraint instead of the usual method. Results are presented for JPL Venus and Mars gravity field determination efforts and efforts are reviewed for developing higher degree models on supercomputers.
gravity fields Doppler tracking Magellan↗