About
Local-Ties are vectors realizing the missing physical connection between space geodetic techniques such as Satellite Laser Ranging (SLR), Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), Doppler Orbitography and Radiopositioning Integrated by Satellite (DORIS), or Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI). The vectors are a key component in the combination procedure of these four space geodetic techniques to realize a global geodetic reference system. Local-ties defined between the reference points of the space geodetic techniques are observable by precise terrestrial observations in a local reference frame with submillimeter accuracy at co-location stations operating at least two different techniques. To integrate local-ties into the combination procedure, the vectors must be provided in a global reference frame in SINEX format. The required transformation parameters are often derived from homologous points whose global coordinates were determined by GNSS. Thus, the orientation of a transformed local-tie depends on the GNSS precision, which sometimes leads to large discrepancies in the combination procedure. In order to improve the orientation of the local-ties at the Onsala Space Observatory, astrogeodetic observations were performed to determine the local deflection of the vertical and the azimuth and were considered in the data analysis for the first time. The astrogeodetic observations were carried out using a conventional TS60 total station and the Total Station Astrogeodetic Control System (TSACS). The results fit well with the official Earth gravity models such as the Swedish SWEN17 or the global EGM2008.

