Analysis of the Characterization for BDS-3 Satellite Clock Error

BeiDou global navigation satellite system (BDS-3) satellites are equipped with high-precision domestic new rubidium clocks and passive hydrogen atomic clocks. Compared with the satellites of BeiDou-2 system (BDS-2), the performance of BDS-3 has great promotion. In order to analyze the performance of the BDS-3 satellite clock, firstly the satellite clock errors of BDS-3 were estimated using the orbit determination software from BeiDou Data Processing and Analysis Center, China University of Mining and Technology, and the standard deviation accuracy of the overlapping arc segments is better than 1 ns. Then, based on the shortcomings of the commonly used satellite clock error outlier detection method, the Baarda gross error detection method was improved so that it can effectively handle the outliers with gross errors and clock slips in the clock errors data. Finally, the processed clock errors data were used to analyze the period characteristics and frequency stability. Analysis results show that the fitting residuals are more stable and the fitting accuracy has been greatly improved after adding two periodic terms. Compared with BDS-2 satellites, the frequency stability of BDS-3 satellites has increased by 20.85%-75.09%. The frequency stability of medium earth orbit (MEO) satellites of BeiDou navigation satellite system is better than that of inclined geosynchronous orbit (IGSO) satellites. The frequency stability of the hydrogen atomic clock is higher than that of the europium atomic clock up to 40.16%-65.60%, and the long-term stability of the hydrogen atomic clock is significantly better than that of the europium atomic clock.