Measures to Compensate Baseline Errors

Abstract

As a consequence of the study of the strategy for TanDEM-X baseline determination, based on the experience of the GRACE mission, the potential existence of a bias in the order of several mm in the baseline product has been realized. This means that the fulfilment of the absolute accuracy requirement of 1 mm in the baseline determination is not anymore guaranteed. In order to overcome this problem, methods for the estimation of this bias with the help interferometry are proposed. This technical note sets the basis for the characterisation and correction of the baseline bias. It includes some simulations of the effect of this error and the performance and accuracy of the characterisation and correction methods.