diff --git a/php/makeOrbitsInKm.php b/php/makeOrbitsInKm.php
index 0cc4866..275d36d 100644
--- a/php/makeOrbitsInKm.php
+++ b/php/makeOrbitsInKm.php
@@ -65,28 +65,34 @@
 					
 					$newId = $id."_km";
 					$new_param_file =  $amdaParamDir."/".$newId.".xml";
-					$newXML = new SimpleXMLElement("<param></param>");
-					$newXML->addAttribute('xml:id', $newId);
-					$newInfo = $newXML->addChild('info');
-					$newInfo->addChild('name', $paramXml->info->name);
-					$newInfo->addChild('short_name', $paramXml->info->name);
-					$newInfo->addChild('components', $paramXml->info->components);
-					$newInfo->addChild('units', 'km');
-					$newInfo->addChild('coordinates_system', $paramXml->info->coordinates_system);
-					$newInfo->addChild('tensor_order', $paramXml->info->tensor_order);
-					$newInfo->addChild('si_conversion', 1.e3);
+					$newDom = new DomDocument("1.0");
+					$newXML = $newDom->createElement("param");
+					$newDom->appendChild($newXML);
+					$newXML->setAttribute("xml:id", $newId);
+					$newInfo = $newDom->createElement('info');
+					$newInfo->appendChild($newDom->createElement('name', $paramXml->info->name));
+					$newInfo->appendChild($newDom->createElement('short_name', $paramXml->info->name));
+					$newInfo->appendChild($newDom->createElement('components', $paramXml->info->components));
+					$newInfo->appendChild($newDom->createElement('units', 'km'));
+					$newInfo->appendChild($newDom->createElement('coordinates_system', $paramXml->info->coordinates_system));
+					$newInfo->appendChild($newDom->createElement('tensor_order', $paramXml->info->tensor_order));
+					$newInfo->appendChild($newDom->createElement('si_conversion', 1.e3));
 					//TODO scale fill value
-					$newInfo->addChild('fill_value', $paramXml->info->fill_value);
-					$newInfo->addChild('ucd', $paramXml->info->ucd);
-					$newInfo->addChild('dataset_id', $paramXml->info->dataset_id);
-					$newGet = $newXML->addChild('get');
-					$newVi = $newGet->addChild('vi');
-					$newVi->addAttribute('name', $paramXml->get->vi['name']);
-					$newParam = $newVi->addChild('baseParam');
-					$newParam->addAttribute('name', $paramXml->get->vi->baseParam['name']);
-					$newXML->addChild('process',$newProcess);
-					$newXML->addChild('output');
-					$newXML->asXML($new_param_file); 	
+					$newInfo->appendChild($newDom->createElement('fill_value', $paramXml->info->fill_value));
+					$newInfo->appendChild($newDom->createElement('ucd', $paramXml->info->ucd));
+					$newInfo->appendChild($newDom->createElement('dataset_id', $paramXml->info->dataset_id));
+					$newXML->appendChild($newInfo);
+					$newGet = $newDom->createElement('get');
+					$newXML->appendChild($newGet);
+					$newVi = $newDom->createElement('vi');
+					$newVi->setAttribute('name', $paramXml->get->vi['name']);
+					$newGet->appendChild($newVi);
+					$newParam = $newDom->createElement('baseParam');
+					$newParam->setAttribute('name', $paramXml->get->vi->baseParam['name']);
+					$newVi->appendChild($newParam);
+					$newXML->appendChild($newDom->createElement('process',$newProcess));
+					$newXML->appendChild($newDom->createElement('output'));
+					$newDom->save($new_param_file); 	
 		
 					$newOrbit = $domKm->createElement('orbites');
 					$newOrbit->setAttribute('xml:id', $newId);
--
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