Propagation effects on the Doppler frequency shift of satellite transmissions

The refraction phenomenon in the troposphere and the ionosphere causes an error in the Doppler frequency shift of radio transmissions emitted from a nonstationary satellite and received on the ground. Estimates are made of the Doppler error for various atmospheric and solar-geophysical conditions and are applicable for frequencies in the VHF to UHF range and above. The Doppler error imposed by the troposphere is directly proportional to frequency while, in the case of the ionosphere, the error is approximately inversely proportional to the frequency and approximately directly proportional to the vertical electron content. Under average tropospheric conditions, the tropospheric contribution to the Doppler error is predominant for frequencies on the order of 400 MHz and above. Below about 400 MHz, the ionospheric refraction effects are prevalent. The Doppler effects can be compensated for, to some extent, when the angular bending and the space vehicle velocity are known. Estimates of the angular bending due to the troposphere can be made to a fair degree of accuracy, from measurements of the surface refractivity. For the ionosphere, the vertical electron content data can be used for the estimation of the refraction angle error.