THE LONG-PERIOD MOTION OF THE PLANE OF A DISTANT CIRCULAR ORBIT

Abstract

We consider Earth satellites in the region where the perturbing effects due to Earth's oblateness and luni-solar gravitational forces are comparable. A general solution is obtained for simultaneous precession about any number of fixed axes; this is an extension of Laplace's treatment for the motion of Iapetus about Saturn. Results are given for general orbits on the assumption that the lunar orbit lies in the ecliptic. Synchronous orbits are considered in greater detail.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Dec 01, 1963
Accession Number
AD0436343

Entities

People

  • G. E. Cook
  • R. R. Allan

Organizations

  • Royal Aircraft Establishment

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • 4G Wireless Networks
  • Artificial Satellites
  • Circular Orbits
  • Eccentricity
  • Eigenvalues
  • Equations
  • Equatorial Orbits
  • Government (Foreign)
  • Integrals
  • Numerical Integration
  • Orbits
  • Precession
  • Satellite Orbits
  • Square Roots
  • Technical Information Centers
  • Trajectories

Fields of Study

  • Mathematics
  • Physics

Readers

  • Space Exploration and Orbital Mechanics.
  • Statistical inference.

Technology Areas

  • Space
  • Space - Orbital Debris