Satellite CPF Predictions
The ILRS network uses CPF orbit predictions provided by mission operators and analysis centres.
The SGF calculates precise satellite orbit predictions daily for most of the ILRS targets and makes these orbits available to other SLR stations internationally. These predictions can be compared in advance to those from other CPF providers so that stations and providers can be confident in their accuracy.
The Consolidated Prediction Format (CPF) is the official format used by the ILRS. It consists of geocentric X, Y, and Z positions at different epochs that can be interpolated for very accurate predictions. Accurate prediction of the positions of the full range of laser-tracked satellites is possible in a single, simple format.
The plots below compare the CPFs when there is more than one provider by taking the differences in metres between the orbital X, Y and Z values at zero hours for today and for the next three or four days.
Full residual plot comparisons are plotted here.

Difference between CPF Providers JD X Y Z Ajisai SGF - ITT aji 60104. 2.425 0.876 -1.841 aji 60105. 2.549 4.764 -2.069 aji 60106. 2.968 9.108 -2.384 aji 60107. 2.903 14.642 -2.140 Ajisai SGF - DGF aji 60104. 0.201 1.292 -0.563 aji 60105. 0.244 3.619 -0.970 aji 60106. 0.464 6.760 -1.502 aji 60107. 0.383 11.139 -1.796 aji 60108. 0.506 17.629 -2.404 Ajisai ITT - DGF aji 60104. -2.224 0.416 1.278 aji 60105. -2.305 -1.145 1.099 aji 60106. -2.503 -2.348 0.882 aji 60107. -2.520 -3.502 0.344 Beacon-C SGF - ITT bec 60104. -0.459 -25.439 -1.304 bec 60105. -0.669 -44.293 -1.143 bec 60106. 0.735 -68.231 -2.038 bec 60107. -3.087 -94.536 0.117 Etalon-1 SGF - ITT eta 60104. -33.989 -64.506 -35.229 eta 60105. 25.236 -92.005 52.589 eta 60106. 87.150 -101.270 -4.574 eta 60107. 99.501 -125.572 -101.400 Etalon-1 SGF - DGF eta 60104. 0.487 1.091 -0.508 eta 60105. -0.111 1.806 -0.595 eta 60106. -0.575 1.889 -0.234 eta 60107. -0.571 1.977 0.284 Etalon-1 ITT - DGF eta 60104. 34.476 65.597 34.721 eta 60105. -25.348 93.811 -53.184 eta 60106. -87.726 103.159 4.340 eta 60107. -100.073 127.549 101.685 Etalon-2 SGF - ITT etb 60104. 12.220 8.567 16.197 etb 60105. 32.977 13.563 6.810 etb 60106. 44.112 49.397 1.572 etb 60107. 24.157 77.988 39.098 Etalon-2 SGF - DGF etb 60104. -0.015 0.019 0.297 etb 60105. 0.021 0.058 0.203 etb 60106. -0.022 0.223 0.239 etb 60107. -0.065 0.283 0.285 Etalon-2 ITT - DGF etb 60104. -12.235 -8.549 -15.900 etb 60105. -32.955 -13.505 -6.607 etb 60106. -44.133 -49.175 -1.333 etb 60107. -24.279 -77.686 -38.610 Larets SGF - ITT lar 60104. 1.962 4.054 3.677 lar 60105. 3.183 8.047 3.964 lar 60106. 3.990 13.247 5.139 lar 60107. -0.412 18.206 9.847 Larets SGF - DGF lar 60104. -2.886 7.476 1.814 lar 60105. -1.690 14.665 0.647 lar 60106. -0.454 25.069 0.007 lar 60107. -9.511 35.007 6.228 lar 60108. 0.071 52.261 -1.897 Larets ITT - DGF lar 60104. -4.848 3.423 -1.863 lar 60105. -4.873 6.618 -3.317 lar 60106. -4.444 11.822 -5.132 lar 60107. -9.099 16.801 -3.619 LARES SGF - ITT las 60104. 2.529 -2.050 -2.723 las 60105. 2.465 -1.376 -3.135 las 60106. 2.466 -0.130 -4.116 las 60107. 1.934 1.034 -4.814 LARES SGF - DGF las 60104. 0.030 0.646 -0.103 las 60105. 0.002 0.944 -0.131 las 60106. 0.030 1.257 -0.157 las 60107. -0.080 1.600 -0.136 las 60108. 0.001 1.815 -0.185 LARES ITT - DGF las 60104. -2.499 2.696 2.620 las 60105. -2.463 2.320 3.005 las 60106. -2.436 1.386 3.959 las 60107. -2.014 0.565 4.678 LARES-2 SGF - DGF la2 60104. 0.015 0.082 -0.223 la2 60105. -0.027 0.116 -0.203 la2 60106. -0.018 0.133 -0.237 la2 60107. 0.000 0.184 -0.241 la2 60108. -0.046 0.190 -0.240 LAGEOS-1 SGF - ITT lga 60104. 5.421 -2.821 -0.864 lga 60105. 5.221 -1.094 -1.197 lga 60106. 5.765 -2.876 -0.168 lga 60107. 6.495 1.428 -2.148 LAGEOS-1 SGF - DGF lga 60104. -0.016 -0.080 -0.031 lga 60105. -0.017 -0.069 -0.032 lga 60106. -0.025 -0.109 -0.039 lga 60107. -0.021 -0.054 -0.066 lga 60108. -0.017 -0.020 -0.055 LAGEOS-2 SGF - ITT lgb 60104. 3.005 -3.306 -3.680 lgb 60105. 4.131 -5.310 -2.979 lgb 60106. 2.711 -5.266 -3.224 lgb 60107. 3.965 -7.060 -5.004 LAGEOS-2 SGF - DGF lgb 60104. -0.003 0.151 -0.034 lgb 60105. -0.048 0.215 -0.041 lgb 60106. -0.003 0.312 -0.030 lgb 60107. -0.096 0.430 -0.053 lgb 60108. 0.021 0.550 -0.066 Stella SGF - ITT ste 60104. 3.759 -0.077 -0.668 ste 60105. 3.713 0.955 -0.481 ste 60106. 4.003 2.480 -0.439 ste 60107. 3.858 4.404 -0.180 Stella SGF - DGF ste 60104. 0.579 0.694 -0.511 ste 60105. 0.999 2.307 -1.000 ste 60106. 1.319 5.158 -1.292 ste 60107. 0.919 8.142 -1.324 ste 60108. 1.222 9.613 -1.487 Stella ITT - DGF ste 60104. -3.179 0.771 0.156 ste 60105. -2.714 1.352 -0.518 ste 60106. -2.684 2.677 -0.853 ste 60107. -2.939 3.738 -1.143 Starlette SGF - ITT str 60104. 2.655 1.784 -0.650 str 60105. 3.177 3.197 0.316 str 60106. 3.302 2.403 1.353 str 60107. 4.047 -1.444 2.532 Starlette SGF - DGF str 60104. 0.113 -1.672 -0.110 str 60105. 0.232 -4.227 -0.510 str 60106. 0.839 -8.388 -0.364 str 60107. -0.114 -14.264 0.326 str 60108. -0.263 -21.661 0.510 Starlette ITT - DGF str 60104. -2.542 -3.456 0.540 str 60105. -2.945 -7.424 -0.827 str 60106. -2.463 -10.790 -1.717 str 60107. -4.161 -12.820 -2.206