The Orbit of Cosmos 44, 1964-53A, from March 1968 to November 1970.
Abstract
The orbit of Cosmos 44, 1964-53A, has been determined over a complete cycle of argument of perigee using the RAE computer program PROP. The orbits have been determined at 28 epochs using 2300 observations from over 100 different observing stations, including Hewitt camera observations from Malvern and Edinburgh used together in a single orbit for the first time. The values of perigee distance derived from the 28 orbits show that the amplitude of the oscillation in perigee distance (5.65 km) differs considerably from that expected from the harmonic coefficients in current use. The orbits should therefore lead to an improved model of the Earth's gravitational field and much better values for the amplitude of the oscillation for satellites with inclinations near 65 degrees. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Aug 01, 1971
- Accession Number
- AD0743816
Entities
People
- Doreen Walker
Organizations
- Royal Aircraft Establishment