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 60826. 2.172 -0.175 -2.342 aji 60827. 2.249 0.585 -1.783 aji 60828. 2.213 2.144 -1.899 aji 60829. 2.196 3.756 -1.335 Ajisai SGF - DGF aji 60826. -0.423 5.344 -0.508 aji 60827. 0.116 10.909 -1.894 aji 60828. -0.626 18.094 -0.707 aji 60829. -2.457 25.172 -1.507 aji 60830. 1.894 37.017 -4.824 Ajisai ITT - DGF aji 60826. -2.594 5.519 1.834 aji 60827. -2.133 10.325 -0.111 aji 60828. -2.839 15.949 1.193 aji 60829. -3.850 21.648 -0.215 Beacon-C SGF - ITT bec 60826. 0.973 23.128 1.738 bec 60827. -0.057 45.576 4.030 bec 60828. -6.750 80.744 10.786 bec 60829. 1.835 119.123 6.152 Etalon-1 SGF - ITT eta 60826. -2672.315 -4582.314 2042.689 eta 60827. -49.265 -6621.099 4800.703 eta 60828. 3356.993 -6113.829 4745.332 eta 60829. 2315.390 -5383.440 1209.672 Etalon-1 SGF - DGF eta 60826. 0.148 0.504 -0.225 eta 60827. -0.068 0.626 -0.490 eta 60828. -0.331 0.524 -0.479 eta 60829. -0.247 0.504 -0.169 eta 60830. -0.251 0.470 -0.092 Etalon-1 ITT - DGF eta 60826. 2672.463 4582.818 -2042.914 eta 60827. 49.197 6621.726 -4801.193 eta 60828. -3357.324 6114.356 -4745.808 eta 60829. -2315.595 5383.964 -1209.738 Etalon-2 SGF - ITT etb 60826. 15.444 -20.132 -52.274 etb 60827. 19.548 -10.834 -49.167 etb 60828. 12.634 -4.030 -46.241 etb 60829. 2.019 -8.346 -44.373 Etalon-2 SGF - DGF etb 60826. -0.162 -0.090 0.014 etb 60827. -0.137 -0.229 -0.050 etb 60828. -0.053 -0.387 -0.087 etb 60829. 0.165 -0.504 -0.360 etb 60830. 0.238 -0.439 -0.080 Etalon-2 ITT - DGF etb 60826. -15.606 20.041 52.289 etb 60827. -19.685 10.605 49.117 etb 60828. -12.687 3.643 46.154 etb 60829. -1.912 7.859 44.245 Larets SGF - ITT lar 60826. 19.009 -26.716 -21.688 lar 60827. 29.163 -37.523 -33.281 lar 60828. 24.092 -76.106 -28.458 lar 60829. 49.319 -89.778 -54.055 Larets SGF - DGF lar 60826. -5.713 18.582 3.058 lar 60827. -12.353 34.194 8.408 lar 60828. -7.166 67.084 3.459 lar 60829. -11.381 102.054 7.395 lar 60830. -26.234 122.497 20.284 Larets ITT - DGF lar 60826. -24.721 45.299 24.746 lar 60827. -41.516 71.717 41.689 lar 60828. -31.258 143.190 31.917 lar 60829. -75.040 177.200 72.971 LARES SGF - ITT las 60826. 2.414 3.191 2.116 las 60827. 1.648 5.372 3.596 las 60828. 2.498 8.905 4.964 las 60829. 0.741 11.747 6.599 LARES SGF - DGF las 60826. 0.030 0.448 0.052 las 60827. -0.063 0.846 0.155 las 60828. 0.018 1.388 0.197 las 60829. -0.242 2.045 0.250 las 60830. 0.124 3.019 0.261 LARES ITT - DGF las 60826. -2.384 -2.743 -2.064 las 60827. -1.712 -4.526 -3.441 las 60828. -2.480 -7.517 -4.768 las 60829. -0.983 -9.702 -6.349 LARES-2 SGF - DGF la2 60826. -0.002 0.106 -0.018 la2 60827. -0.010 0.152 -0.003 la2 60828. 0.019 0.200 -0.002 la2 60829. -0.003 0.260 -0.002 la2 60830. -0.024 0.302 0.025 LAGEOS-1 SGF - ITT lga 60826. 4.569 -0.478 -0.108 lga 60827. 4.473 1.140 0.386 lga 60828. 4.785 0.975 0.790 lga 60829. 4.619 2.618 0.836 LAGEOS-1 SGF - DGF lga 60826. -0.008 -0.123 -0.067 lga 60827. 0.007 -0.184 -0.108 lga 60828. 0.018 -0.159 -0.138 lga 60829. 0.009 -0.317 -0.193 lga 60830. 0.030 -0.302 -0.220 LAGEOS-2 SGF - ITT lgb 60826. 4.035 2.977 -3.425 lgb 60827. 2.515 4.416 -2.734 lgb 60828. 4.780 7.013 -3.038 lgb 60829. 2.035 8.461 -2.634 LAGEOS-2 SGF - DGF lgb 60826. 0.000 0.025 0.016 lgb 60827. 0.031 0.003 0.020 lgb 60828. -0.003 -0.169 0.011 lgb 60829. 0.092 -0.273 0.082 lgb 60830. 0.048 -0.621 -0.062 Stella SGF - ITT ste 60826. 3.352 0.249 -0.999 ste 60827. 3.331 0.799 -0.623 ste 60828. 3.295 0.693 -0.125 ste 60829. 3.099 0.842 0.340 Stella SGF - DGF ste 60826. 0.428 2.538 -0.144 ste 60827. 0.995 4.501 -0.917 ste 60828. 2.178 7.816 -1.765 ste 60829. 1.317 13.495 -1.214 ste 60830. 0.902 18.468 -1.072 Stella ITT - DGF ste 60826. -2.924 2.290 0.855 ste 60827. -2.336 3.702 -0.294 ste 60828. -1.117 7.123 -1.641 ste 60829. -1.782 12.654 -1.554 Starlette SGF - ITT str 60826. 1.590 4.750 -3.497 str 60827. 1.831 7.371 -3.403 str 60828. 1.569 9.904 -3.318 str 60829. 0.902 12.604 -3.252 Starlette SGF - DGF str 60826. -0.152 0.332 0.038 str 60827. -0.132 0.417 0.064 str 60828. -0.105 0.288 0.054 str 60829. -0.169 0.094 0.086 str 60830. -0.168 -0.294 0.140 Starlette ITT - DGF str 60826. -1.741 -4.418 3.535 str 60827. -1.963 -6.954 3.467 str 60828. -1.674 -9.616 3.372 str 60829. -1.071 -12.510 3.338