GRACE: millimeters and microns in orbit

Abstract

The Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment launched March 17, 2002. The GPS data for this experiment are processed to contribute to the recover long wavelength gravity field; remove errors due to long term on-board oscillator drift; and align K/Ka-band measurments between the two spacecraft to 0.1 ns. This paper will concentrate on the use of GPS for these timing and calibration functions and will not address the recovery of the gravity field.