Performance of BDS-3: Measurement Quality Analysis, Precise Orbit and Clock Determination

Area of Science:

• Satellite Navigation Systems
• Geodesy
• Space Technology

Background:

• China has launched five experimental BeiDou global navigation system (BDS-3) satellites since 2015.
• The BDS-3 aims to expand the regional BeiDou system (BDS-2) to global coverage.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct an initial performance assessment and characterization of the BDS-3 system.
• To compare the measurement quality and performance of BDS-3 against BDS-2.

Main Methods:

• Collected 20 days of tracking data from eleven monitoring stations.
• Analyzed carrier-to-noise density ratio, pseudo-range multipath, and noise.
• Performed precise orbit and clock determination, validated with Satellite Laser Ranging (SLR).

Main Results:

• BDS-3 exhibits superior measurement quality compared to BDS-2.
• Satellite-induced code biases observed in BDS-2 appear resolved in BDS-3.
• Orbit determination precision reached 2-6 dm (3D RMS) and 6-14 cm (radial).
• SLR validation showed residual RMS of 1-3 dm.
• BDS-3 onboard atomic clocks demonstrated increased stability over BDS-2.

Conclusions:

• The experimental BDS-3 system demonstrates significant performance improvements over BDS-2.
• BDS-3 offers enhanced precision in orbit determination and clock stability.
• The findings support the successful expansion of the BeiDou system to global coverage.