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Detecting extralateral mass variations using inclined satellite pair configurations
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DOI：10.1016/j.asr.2026.03.064.png)
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Abstract
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This study investigates the detection capability of inclined satellite pair (orbital inclination i < 90 degrees) for extralateral mass variations in Earth's gravity field monitoring. While such configurations inherently lack observational coverage beyond |latitude| > i, limiting global gravity field reconstruction, their sensitivity to gravitational signals enables extralateral mass detection. Through analytical modeling and numerical simulations, we comparatively analyze the noise resilience of inter-satellite range rate and range acceleration measurements in the time-frequency domain, demonstrating superior performance of range rate observations. Adopting signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) as the quantitative metric under high-frequency instrument noise, we evaluate detection thresholds for mass anomalies parameterized as regular blocks with variable equivalent water heights (EWH), spatial dimensions, and geographic locations. Case studies examine two NGGMrelevant inclinations: 70 degrees (global-scale monitoring) and 56 degrees (China-focused configuration). Key findings reveal that: (1) The 56 degrees configuration detects 3 degrees & times; 3 degrees mass anomalies with 100 cm water mass up to 65 degrees latitude and 5 degrees & times; 5 degrees anomalies with 100 cm water mass to 70 degrees latitude; (2) For mass anomalies outside the observation region, the 70 degrees configuration requires either higher EWH values or reduced source-to-orbital-plane distances due to Earth's oblate geometry; (3) Detection feasibility exhibits strong dependence on instrument noise characteristics and mass signal intensity, where insufficient mass signals become indistinguishable from high-frequency errors. Our findings highlight that inclined orbits not only acquire intra-observation signals but also exhibit extralateral detection capability for time-variable mass anomalies. This dual functionality provides critical insights for optimizing orbit design in next-generation gravimetric missions (NGGMs), particularly in evaluating the observational merits of independent inclined orbit constellations versus Bender-type hybrid formations for integrated global monitoring. (c) 2026 COSPAR. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights are reserved, including those for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies.
Keywords:
Satellite gravity
Temporal gravity field model
Inclined satellite pairs
Inter-satellite range rate
Inter-satellite range acceleration
Next-generation gravimetric mission
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