Dynamic Priorities

The ILRS Central Bureau, the University of Berne and SGF Herstmonceux have set up an automated system to help inform operations at ILRS tracking stations based on a dynamic priority scheme. These dynamic priorities serve as a supplement of the ILRS Mission Priority table. The aim is to be able to highlight in near-real time those missions that need some extra tracking support and also point to those missions that already have sufficient range data. This information is captured in a simple code, for example "+1" meaning "try to get more passes now". The code is made available through the existing time bias server or via a web page, both hosted at the University of Berne.

Herstmonceux generates on an hourly basis a global table of recent passes and computes a dynamic priority code, taking account of the ILRS priority for each mission (see http://sgf.rgo.ac.uk/priority/latest_priority.html). The priority codes (+1,-1) are also entered into the standard time bias file.

Zimmerwald grabs the standard time bias file and computes the tabulated actual time biases for all satellites on request (time bias server, see e.g., http://ilrs.gsfc.nasa.gov/products_formats_procedures/predictions/realtime_time_bias.html) and adds the dynamic priority correction codes into this table (last columns) where the users can grab it, together with the time biases.

For those stations not automating the procedure Zimmerwald also generates a digested list of the dynamic priorities as a web page, see http://aiuas3.unibe.ch/ftp/slr/dynamic_priorities.html.

Responsible Government Official: Carey Noll
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