Introduction to joint analysis of SLR and GNSS data

The paper presents models, parameters and assumptions concerning Satellite Laser Ranging (SLR) and Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) data processing, which will be conducted in the frame of a project concerning comparison of the site coordinates determined using these two techniques. The analysis will be performed by two research units: the Space Research Center (Polish Academy of Science) and the Center of Applied Geomatics (Military University of Technology) and will take into account the data from all global stations adopting SLR and GNSS techniques that were operating in the same time (from 1996 to 2011). The main goal is to obtain exact coordinates and their changes in time (velocities) on the basis of both techniques and to compare the results. The stations’ coordinates will be determined for the common reference epoch - for the first day of each month. According to the recommendations of the Global Geodetic Observing System (GGOS), the same models and parameters from IERS Conventions 2010 will be used in both processing strategies (if possible). Monthly orbital arcs for laser observations will be created on the basis of solutions from several SLR sites providing best quality results and the highest number of observations. For GNSS coordinates determination of about 100 sites belonging to International GNSS Service (IGS) will be selected: 30 with local ties to SLR sites and others chosen on the basis of their localization and quality of time series.