Correction of satellite tracking data for an arbitrary tropospheric profile.

Abstract

A procedure is given for deriving elevation-error and range-error correction equations in a form suitable for use in the rapid processing of satellite tracking data. The refractivity of the troposphere is assumed to have spherical symmetry, but may have any given profile that does not depart greatly from standard. When the procedure was tested for numerical accuracy by application to an exponential profile, the corrections calculated agreed with those obtained by ray tracing to 0.3% or better over a range of surface refractivity from 200 to 450 and a range of radiowave arrival angles from horizontal to vertical.