FocusPOD, a new operational geodesy tool

FocusPOD is a modern astrodynamics and space-geodesy software library developed in C++ and Python by GMV to support operational and research-grade Precise Orbit Determination (POD) and geodetic applications. The system is built upon a modular, library-oriented architecture and a relational data model that strictly separates data structures from algorithms, enabling extensibility, reproducibility, and efficient large-scale processing. A comprehensive Python interface provides high-level orchestration and user-defined extensions while preserving the numerical performance of the C++ core and avoiding intermediate input/output operations. FocusPOD has been operationally deployed within the Copernicus Precise Orbit Determination (CPOD) Service since 2023 for the generation of Sentinel orbit products. It delivers centimetre-level accuracy, with Near-Real-Time products routinely generated in less than five minutes and achieving ∼3 cm 3D RMS for Sentinel-1/2 and ∼1–2 cm radial RMS for altimetry missions. A dedicated reprocessing campaign of Sentinel-3A, Sentinel-3B, and Sentinel-6A demonstrates mean orbit differences of ∼5 mm (3D RMS) and ∼2–3 mm (radial RMS) with respect to combined solutions over multi-year intervals. Independent validation using Satellite Laser Ranging (SLR) confirms orbit accuracy at the 5–7 mm level in the radial component. These results demonstrate that FocusPOD provides a scalable, high-performance and operationally robust framework for GNSS-based LEO POD, while offering a unified foundation for future multi-technique geodetic processing and reference frame realization.