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Relativistic Synchronization of Clocks on Board Navigation Spacecraft with the Aid of Intersatellite Measurements

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Measurement Techniques Aims and scope

The problem of synchronizing the onboard clocks of navigation satellites is examined from a relativistic standpoint using the concept of "coordinate simultaneity." This concept makes it possible to uniquely interpret the results of synchronization in terms of the general theory of relativity. An algorithm for processing intersatellite measurements is formulated in terms of an instrumental realization of the proper time of a spacecraft and the coordinate time of a reference frame. Rules for transformation between the coordinate and proper time frames are given. An analytic expression is obtained for the periodic relativistic correction to the estimated proper value of the relative clock drift, expressed in terms of the time coordinate of an earthbound observer. The value of this correction exceeds the permissible synchronization error and must be taken into account in processing intersatellite measurements. The error in determining the relativistic correction, which provides an upper bound on the period for uploading of ephemeris data on board spacecraft, is calculated

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Topcon Positioning Systems, Moscow, Russia

    N. N. Vasilyuk

  2. Scientific and production corporation “Systems of Precision Instruments Engineering,”, Moscow, Russia

    A. P. Chervonkin

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  1. N. N. Vasilyuk
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  2. A. P. Chervonkin
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Correspondence to N. N. Vasilyuk.

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Translated from Izmeritel'naya Tekhnika, No. 8, pp. 56–66, August, 2021.

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Vasilyuk, N.N., Chervonkin, A.P. Relativistic Synchronization of Clocks on Board Navigation Spacecraft with the Aid of Intersatellite Measurements. Meas Tech 64, 668–680 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11018-021-01988-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11018-021-01988-0

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