Satellite-to-satellite tracking and satellite gravity gradiometry (Advanced techniques for high-resolution geopotential field determination) (Q1861656)

The purpose of satellite-to-satellite tracking (SST) and/or satellite gravity gradiometer (SGG) is to determine the gravitational field on and outside Earth's surface from given gradients of the potential and/or field at satellite altitude. In this paper satellite techniques are analyzed and characterized from a mathematical point of views. Uniqueness results are formulated. The justification is given for approximating the external gravitational field by finite linear combination of certain gradient fields consistent with a given set of SGG and/or SST data. A strategy of modeling the gravitational field from satellite data within a multi-scale concept is described.