RELATIVISTIC EFFECTS ON SATELLITE NAVIGATION

Subject review The base of knowledge of relativistic effects on satellite navigation is presented through comparison of the main characteristics of the Newtonian and the relativistic space time and by a short introduction of metric of a gravity field. Post-Newtonian theory of relativity is presented as a background in numerical treating of satellite navigation relativistic effects. Time as a crucial parameter in relativistic satellite navigation is introduced through coordinate and proper time as well as terrestrial time and clocks synchronization problem. Described are relativistic effects: on time dilation, on time differences because of the gravity field, on frequency, on path range effects, caused by the Earth rotation, due to the orbit eccentricity and because of the acceleration of the satellite in the theory of relativity. Overviews of treatment of relativistic effects on the GPS, GLONASS, Galileo and BeiDou satellite systems are given