Improvement of Earth orientation parameters estimate with Chang’E-1 ΔVLBI observations

Earth orientation parameters (EOP) are essential for the interconnection of different reference systems involved in Chang’E-1 (CE-1) lunar exploration, such as the Earth fixed reference system, celestial reference system and dynamical reference system. To improve the accuracy of predicted EOP values and to reduce their influence on the accuracy of CE-1 orbital parameters, a relativistic mathematical model of differential VLBI (ΔVLBI) time delay observations for the CE-1 transfer orbit is derived in this paper, which is generated by differencing CE-1 time delay observations with a simulated radio source's time delay observations. The CE-1 orbital parameters and EOP are simultaneously estimated with least squares adjustment using the measured time delay observations of the CE-1 transfer orbit. The results show that the accuracy of the CE-1 orbit and EOP estimates is improved by the CE-1 ΔVLBI observations with optimal orbital arc length and the win-win approach is able to improve the accuracy of both the CE-1 orbital parameters and EOP estimates. The estimated CE-1 orbital accuracy can achieve a few hundred meters and the estimated EOP accuracies are better than their predicted values.