GENESIS

ESA’s proposed GENESIS satellite targets a global reference system accuracy of around 1 mm with a long-term stability of 0.1 mm/y, so as to be able to detect the smallest variations in the Earth system components.

To do this, GENESIS will combine for the first time ever all four space-geodetic techniques (satellite laser ranging, Doppler-based ‘DORIS’ radio positioning, Very Long Baseline Interferometry VLBI, as well as satnav) that are used to fix the position of GNSS stations around the globe onto a single space-based platform. This will result in a unique, dynamic space geodetic observatory, which combined with the measurements of geodetic collocation techniques stations on Earth, shall allow resolving the inherent errors and biases of each method can be identified and accounted for, overcoming one of the main limitations of the current International Terrestrial Reference Frame state of the art accuracy.