A Coastal Experiment for GNSS-R Code-Level Altimetry Using BDS-3 New Civil Signals

High temporal and spatial resolutions are the key advantages of global navigation satellites system-reflectometry (GNSS-R) technique, while low precision instabilities constrain its development. Compared with conventional Ku/C band nadir-looking radar altimetry, GNSS-R code-level altimetry is restricted by smaller bandwidth lower transmitted power signals. Fortunately, modernized GNSS broadcast new open-available ranging codes wider bandwidth. The Chinese BDS-3 system was built on 31 July 2020; inclined geostationary orbit medium circular provide B1C B2a public service signals in two frequency bands B1 B2. In order to investigate their performance a coastal experiment conducted 5 November 2020 at trestle Weihai Shandong province China. raw intermediate data 62 MHz sampling rate were collected post-processed solve sea surface height every second continuously for over eight hours. precisions evaluated using measurements from 26 GHz altimeter mounted same near our setup. results show that centimeter-level accuracy altimetry—based code after application moving average—can be achieved, code, about 10 20 cm.