Evaluation of numerical integration techniques in orbit propagation for a Martian gravity field satellite mission

Kurzfassung

Observing a planet’s gravitational field over time allows to investigate the planetary composition and its internal processes. A satellite mission concept called MaQuIs is proposed to the European Space Agency and intends to employ the successful mission technology of GRACE-FO and GRAIL. It is dedicated to improve the Martian gravity field and consecutively enabling studies on planetary dynamics, seasonal changes such as melting cycles, and subsurface water reservoirs. MaQuIs is intending to deploy quantum sensors such as a cold atom interferometry accelerometer. It features beneficial properties compared to an electrostatic sensor in terms of both accuracy and long-term stability, and thus increase the resolution of the gravitational field measurement. To quantify the benefit, a closed-loop simulation from forward simulation and sensor modeling to the gravity field recovery is typically used. Numerical integration of the satellite orbit is a crucial component. In this study we investigate different numerical integration techniques in the programming language Julia for solving satellite orbits at Mars. By applying different metrics, we compare solvers in terms of accuracy and efficiency. We especially evaluate them in the context of changed requirements due to more precise measurements with advanced quantum sensors.