Characterization of the GLONASS-K1+ atomic frequency standard

Abstract

The fifth GLONASS-K1 satellite with space vehicle number R807 was launched in October 2022. It represents the first spacecraft of the K1+ generation, which offers various technical innovations. Compared to previous K1 satellites, R807 also transmits a code-division multiple access (CDMA) signal in the L2 frequency band in addition to L1 and L2 frequency-division multiple access (FDMA) and L3 CDMA signals. Thus, R807 is the first spacecraft of the K1+ generation. A geometry- and ionosphere-free triple carrier combination is used to analyze the GLONASS R807 clock consistency at different frequencies. Significant inconsistencies were found showing up as variations with a peak-to-peak amplitude of up to 40 cm and periods between 15 min and a few days. Whereas the ultimate explanation for these variations is not known, it is likely that they originate from cross-talk of two oscillators with similar frequency. A short-term clock analysis for integration times up to 100 s based on the one-way carrier phase (OWCP) method shows a superior stability of the R807 clock compared to all other GLONASS satellites including the new K2 generation. The Allan deviation computed from 5 s clock estimates confirms this finding for integration times up to 600 s but shows a significant bump at longer integration times due to the periodic variations mentioned above. Single-frequency OWCP processing confirms consistency of the L1 and L2 FDMA signals whereas the L3 CDMA signal shows a slight phase shift. Although the spurious variations mask the true performance of the K1+ atomic frequency standard, its behavior at short integration times points at a new type of GLONASS satellite clock.