DETERMINATION OF GROUND POSITIONS FROM OBSERVATIONS OF ARTIFICIAL EARTH SATELLITES
Abstract
The presentation is organized in three phases. The first phase presents the formulae and procedure for computing the coordinates of the satellite from published orbital data. The second phase describes the adaptation of classical methods of astronomical photography for the purpose of obtaining the coordinates of the satellite from a photographic plate. It is not the intention of this report to describe the method of photographing the satellite or recording the time of observation. Phase two begins with the procedure for identifying the reference stars after the photographic plate has been processed. It must be assumed that the operator is trained in the use of the measuring instrument. The reduction is prepared for readings from a linear comparator type of plate measuring device; not for readings of angular measure. The third phase combines the results of the first and second phases in order to produce the x,y,z space coordinates of the observation site. These can be converted to geocentric latitude and longitude. Then these geocentric coordinates can be converted into geodetic latitude and longitude by the standard formulae which has been included in the Appendix. These three phases of the report contain all the necessary working formulae, the outlined procedure, and sample computations. The derivation of formulae and additional information which is not essential to the computation procedure is relegated to the appendixes.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 1959
- Accession Number
- AD0622335
Entities
People
- Bela Szabo
Organizations
- Aeronautical Chart and Information Center