Satellite Orbit Simulation to Support Sensor Calibration/Validation

Abstract

This presentation was shared at the in-person conference of the 2026 ESSIC/CISESS Summer Internship Program held on 19 August 2026. The slides were presented by David Liu, a student at Marriotts Ridge High School, under the mentorship of Yan Bai (UMD/ESSIC/CISESS), Dr. Xi Shao (UMD/ESSIC/CISESS), and Dr. Changyong Cao (NOAA). In this presentation, the intern examined satellite orbit prediction using Two-Line Element (TLE) data and the Simplified General Perturbations 4 (SGP4) propagation model, with attention to orbital perturbations and their effects on prediction accuracy. The study also compared Systems Tool Kit (STK), a high-fidelity aerospace analysis platform, with Zerua, a web-based orbital visualization tool, and applied Zerua to simulate satellites from the Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) and the six-satellite COSMIC-2 constellation. The simulations were used to visualize satellite orbits and support analysis of satellite positioning, overpasses, and coordinated observations relevant to sensor calibration and validation. This internship study provides an important foundation for future satellite orbit prediction and coordinated observation studies, contributing to advancements in environmental monitoring and the evaluation of Earth-observing satellite sensor data quality.