Browsing by Subject "ICESat"
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Item Alignment filtering of ICESat flight data(2012-12) Smith, Noah Harold; Schutz, Bob E.; Lightsey, Glenn; Humphreys, Todd; Shelus, Peter; Bae, SungkooICESat consisted of the Geoscience Laser Altimeter System (GLAS) and a commercial spacecraft bus. The stability of the GLAS to bus alignment was unknown and significant for GLAS pointing. Pointing control was performed by the bus, and variations of the GLAS alignment were effectively pointing control errors. There were four star trackers making measurements sensitive to this alignment, two on GLAS and two on the bus. Tracker pointing variations during samples from seven years of flight data were estimated using an alignment filter. The states of an alignment filter represent multiple independent attitudes, enabling the fusion of measurements from an arbitrary number of trackers and gyro units. The ICESat alignment filter states were equivalent to four tracker pointing vectors, expressed in both the body and celestial frames. Together with a star catalog, the four pointing vectors were equivalent to predictions of the tracker measurements. The stars provided nearly ideal reference points, but filter performance was improved by detecting and handling deterministic star errors. The primary result was evidence for relatively large pointing variations of the two GLAS trackers, on the order of fifty arcseconds, with both periodic orbital variations and trends on long time scales. There was also evidence of correlations between the variations of the two GLAS trackers, suggesting that they reflected GLAS to bus alignment variations.Item Development of onboard digital elevation and relief databases for the advanced topographic laser altimeter system(2013-12) Leigh, Holly Wallis; Schutz, Bob E.; Magruder, Lori Adrian, 1971-The Ice, Cloud, and land Satellite-2 (ICESat-2) is planned to launch in 2016 carrying the Advanced Topographic Laser Altimeter System (ATLAS). ATLAS will be the first space-based photon-counting laser altimeter to be put into operation, and is tasked with observing the Earth’s ice sheets, sea ice, and vegetation. The environment in which ATLAS will be operating is expected to introduce a significant amount of noise into the received signal; this necessitates that a set of onboard Receiver Algorithms be developed to reduce the data volume and data rate to acceptable levels while still transmitting the relevant ranging data. The algorithms make use of signal processing techniques, along with three databases, the Digital Elevation Model (DEM), the Digital Relief Map (DRM), and the Surface Reference Mask (SRM), to find the signal and determine the appropriate dynamic range of vertical data surrounding the surface for downlink. The focus of this study is the development of the DEM and DRM databases. A number of elevation data sets are examined for use as inputs for the databases. No global data sets of sufficient quality and resolution are available for the development of the project, so best-available regional elevation data sets were selected instead. Software was developed in MATLAB to produce the DEM and DRM data bases from the input data sets. A method for calculating relief from a gridded elevation data set along the flight path of a satellite was developed for the generation of relief maps used to create the DRM. Global DEM and DRM databases were produced by mosaicking individual DEM and DRM tiles from each input data set into global grids. A technique was developed to determine the accuracy of the DRM by using ICESat ground elevations to evaluate the accuracy of an input elevation data set. By comparing values of DRM accuracy to values of DRM relief, estimates of DRM accuracy as a function of relief magnitude were determined and used to define values of DRM padding in the receiver algorithm.Item Elevation and volume change of the ice sheets from GLAS : a comparison of methods(2013-12) Felikson, Denis; Schutz, Bob E.This report compares surface elevation change and volume change esti- mates from three methods: repeat track (RT), crossover (CX), and overlapping footprints (OFP). These three methods use different approaches to group- ing elevation point measurements taken at different measurement epochs and estimating elevation change. Volume changes are calculated from elevation changes in the same manner for all three methods but differences in sampling resolution between the methods affect volume change estimates in different ways. The recently reprocessed Release 633 version of elevation measurements from the Geoscience Laser Altimeter System (GLAS), flown on the Ice, Cloud and land Elevation Satellite (ICESat), are used in this analysis. Both elevation changes and volume changes are compared for both the Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS) and the Antarctic Ice Sheet (AIS). Additionally, uncertainties in the estimates for each method are quantified and compared. Results are separated by drainage systems and by above/below 2000 m surface elevation for the GrIS. For the AIS, results are aggregated to the East, West, and Penin- vi sula regions. Volume change estimates agree well for the three methods for the GrIS, with estimates of -227.75 ± 2.12 km³/yr, -249.30 ± 3.42 km³/yr, and -218.24 ± 7.39 km³/yr for the RT, CX, and OFP methods, respectively. These estimates are similar to those published from previous studies. For the AIS, however, larger discrepancies are found in the estimates. This stems primarily from a large discrepancy in the volume change estimate of the East AIS, where the RT, CX, and OFP methods estimate volume changes of 33.39 ± 1.42 km³/yr, 46.42 ± 5.46 km³/yr, and -2.72 ± 2.12 km³/yr, respectively. It's not entirely clear why this large discrepancy exists in this particular region, and elevation change estimates for a few particular drainage systems in this region are examined. Previously published volume changes for the AIS also show a large scatter and more work must be done to reconcile the various estimates. Finally, the volume change uncertainties reported do not completely account for the discrepancies in most regions. Additional analysis must be done to completely quantify all error sources.Item Ground-based attitude determination and gyro calibration(2012-08) Kim, Chang-Su, doctor of aerospace engineering; Schutz, Bob E.; Fowler, Wallace T.; Hull, David G.; Lightsey, E. Glen; Wilson, Clark R.Some modern spacecraft missions require precise knowledge of the attitude, obtained from the ground processing of on-board attitude sensors. A traditional 6-state attitude determination filter, containing three attitude errors and three gyro bias errors, has been recognized for its robust performance when it is used with high quality measurement data from a star tracker for many past and present missions. However, as higher accuracies are required for attitude knowledge in the missions, systematic errors such as sensor misalignment and scale factor errors, which could often be neglected in previous missions, have become serious, and sometimes, the dominant error sources. The star tracker data have gaps and degradation caused by, for example, the Sun and Moon blocking in the filed of view and data time tag errors. Thus, attitude determination based on the gyro data without using the star tracker data is inevitably required for most missions for the period when the star tracker is unable to provide accurate data. However, any gyro-based attitude errors would eventually grow exponentially because of the uncorrected systematic errors of gyros and the uncorrected gyro random noises. An improved understanding of the gyro random noise characteristics and the estimation of the gyro scale factor errors and gyro misalignments are necessary for precise attitude determination for some present and future missions. The 6-state filters have been extended to 15-state filters to estimate the scale factor and misalignment errors of gyros especially during a high-slew maneuver and the performance of theses filters has been investigated. During a starless period, the inevitable drift of the EKF solutions, which are caused by the uncorrected gyro’s systematic errors and the gyro random noises, can be replaced with the batch solutions, which are less affected by the data gap in the star tracker. Power Spectral Density and the Allan Variance Method are used for analyzing the gyro random noises in both ICESat and simulated gyro data, which provide better information about the process noise covariance in the attitude filter. Both simulated and real data are used for analyzing and evaluating the performances of EKF and batch algorithms.Item Mission design concepts for repeat groundtrack orbits and application to the ICESat mission(2008-12) Pie, Nadege; Schutz, Bob E.The primary objective of the NASA sponsored ICESat mission is to study the short and long term changes in the ice mass in the Greenland and Antarctica regions. The satellite was therefore placed into a frozen near-polar near-circular repeat groundtrack to ensure an adequate coverage of the polar regions while keeping the groundtrack periodic and reducing the variations in the orbital elements, and more specifically the semi-major axis of the ICESat orbit. After launch, a contingency plan had to be devised to compensate for a laser that dangerously compromised the lifetime of the ICESat mission. This new plan makes an intensive use of the ICESat subcycles, a characteristic of the repeat groundtrack orbits often over-looked. The subcycle of a repeat groundtrack orbit provide global coverage within a time shorter than the groundtrack repetition period. For a satellite with an off-nadir pointing capacity, the subcycles provide near-repeat tracks which represents added opportunity for altimetry measurement over a specific track. The ICESat subcycles were also used in a very innovative fashion to reposition the satellite within its repeat cycle via orbital maneuvers called phasing maneuver. The necessary theoretical framework is provided for the subcycle analysis and the implementation of phasing maneuvers for any future repeat orbit mission. In the perspective of performing cross-validation of missions like CryoSat using the ICESat off-nadir capacity, a study was conducted to determine the geolocations of crossovers between two different repeat groundtrack Keplerian orbits. The general analytical solution was applied to ICESat vs. several other repeat groundtrack orbit mission, including the future ICESat-II mission. ICESat’s repeat groundtrack orbit was designed using a disturbing force model that includes only the Earth geopotential. Though the third body effect from the Sun and the Moon was neglected in the orbit design, it does in fact disrupt the repeatability condition of the groundtrack and consequently implies orbit correction maneuvers. The perturbations on ICESat orbit due to the third body effect are studied as a preliminary work towards including these forces in the design of the future ICESat-II repeat groundtrack orbit.Item Sensitivity analysis of repeat track estimation techniques for detection of elevation change in polar ice sheets(2010-05) Harpold, Robert Earl; Schutz, Bob E.; Urban, Timothy J.; Catania, Ginny; Fowler, Wallace; Ocampo, CesarRepeat track analysis is one tool that can be used to derive parameters describing elevation changes from elevation data collected from a satellite with a near-repeat groundtrack. While initially developed to study ocean topography, it was then applied to ice sheet data. This study expands upon that previous research by testing the method’s ability to estimate parameters using different amounts of data, different grid sizes and types, and different elevation models containing different parameters to be estimated. In all cases, ICESat-derived elevations were used as input data, as ICESat has a near-repeat groundtrack with extensive coverage of the Greenland and Antarctica ice sheets. Results were compared using the differences between modeled and ICESat-derived elevations, correlation of estimated parameters to known physical features, and differences between known and estimated parameter values for simulated elevation data. It was found that there should be data from at least as many distinct time periods (or, in the case of ICESat, laser campaigns) as parameters being estimated, grids centered on and aligned with the reference groundtrack should be used, and that elevation models containing a constant elevation change rate, slopes, an initial elevation at the grid center, and annual terms should be used. Crossover analysis is a different method to determine elevation change rate with elevation data and serves as an independent verification of the repeat track analysis method. It was found that the hdot values determined from crossover and repeat track analyses agreed to within 5 cm/yr in most areas of the ice sheets, with differences greater than 40 cm/yr along the coasts. While repeat track analysis provides greater coverage than crossover analysis, it is uncertain which method provides the most accurate results.Item A study of time-varying geopotential models for ICESat precision orbit determination(2012-05) Kolensky, Shannon Anne; Schutz, Bob E.; Bettadpur, SrinivasPrecision orbit determination (POD) plays a vital role in the success of space-borne laser altimetry missions, such as ICESat (Ice, Cloud, and Land Elevation Satellite). Although current ICESat POD processing standards are achieving remarkable accuracy, new time-varying geopotential models derived from the GRACE (Gravity Recovery And Climate Experiment) mission were investigated as candidates to improve POD performance for the planned ICESat-2 mission. The objective of this research is to examine the effect of these time-varying geopotential models -- which include models of non-tidal atmospheric and ocean variability, seasonal variability caused by water mass motion, and secular variations caused by present-day ice-melt and glacial isostatic adjustment -- on ICESat POD. The quality of the POD solutions produced with the new geopotential models was quantified by examining the usual orbit quality tests -- DDHL (double-differenced high-low) and SLR (satellite laser ranging) observation residuals and orbit overlaps. Although the solutions produced in every test case indicated consistency and high accuracy of 1-2 cm, these metrics were rather insensitive to the small changes in the POD solutions induced by the new geopotential models, and were incapable of identifying any statistically significant improvements in the POD. However, examination of geographically correlated radial orbit perturbations showed that the radial orbit differences exhibited significant variability on the order of several millimeters, and were coherent with the temporal variability of the models implemented. Since radial orbit errors directly relate to the scientific quantities of interest in the ICESat mission -- the altimetry measurements and derived ice-sheet surface elevations -- this result is of obvious importance. The most notable effects included an annual radial orbit variation of up to 4 mm over the Amazon region induced by implementing the GRACE Annual model, and a secular variation of radial orbit differences over Greenland when the GRACE Trend model was applied. The effect of radial orbit error on ice-sheet altimetry was quantified by examining the mean geographically correlated radial orbit differences. Since the ice sheet elevation rates computed by ICESat scientists are on the order of tens of centimeters per year, it was concluded that, although the radial orbit perturbations are readily observable, with magnitudes on the order of a few millimeters they are too small to have a significant impact on the altimetry science. However, depending on the scientific objectives and radial orbit accuracy requirements set for ICESat-2, these effects may be important, and the use of time-varying geopotential models in ICESat-2 POD may be beneficial.