In this paper, we present an independent software
for Mars spacecraft precise orbit determination and grav-
ity field recovery we call the Mars Gravity Recovery and
Analysis Software (MAGREAS), which is aimed to ana-
lyze tracking data from the Chinese Mars exploration mis-
sion and similar NASA and ESA Mars-related projects. The
design structure, module distribution, and functions of the
software are described in this manuscript. A detailed cross
validation with the mature precise orbit determination plat-
form Geodyn-II was done. Additionally, we use MAGREAS
to process the MEX orbital tracking data with two-way and
three-way tracking modes separately. Measurement residu-
als and the difference from the reconstructed ephemeris pro-
vided by Royal Observatory of Belgium indicate that our
software is reliable. In addition to describe of our software
and validate with Geodyn-II, we give a simulation case close
to Chinese Mars exploration mission to indicate the appli-
cation of our software. We present a simulation of a four-
way tracking mode between Earth tracking station, Mars or-
biter, and Mars lander to validate the effectiveness of our
MAGREAS-based approach for Mars orbiter determination
and lander positioning. Experimental results show that our
proposed tracking mode significantly improves positioning
accuracy. This work will provide a reference for the de-
sign of the Chinese Mars exploration mission as well as
for the processing of Chinese Mars mission orbital tracking
data.

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• Independent Mars spacecraft precise orbit determination software development and its applications