Orbit Determination of a Near-Synchronous Satellite from Passive Range Observations

Abstract

An experiment is described by which the ephemeris of a near- synchronous satellite, designated 1967-66F, has been determined from passive range observations. More precisely, the data consist of the measured times of reception at ground tracking stations of electromagnetic signals that are radiated from the satellite at time intervals regulated by an ultrastable free- running oscillator. The ground tracking stations number four and are located at Howard County, Maryland (USA), Misawa (Japan), Smithfield (Australia), and San Jose dos Campos (Brazil). An ephemeris and three satellite clock parameters are estimated by the procedure of differential correction in the method of least squares. A comparison of the ephemeris to one obtained from the doppler tracking method is presented. This indicates that the accuracy of the ephemeris is better than 4.9 mrad rms, which was the goal of the orbit determination effort.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
May 01, 1972
Accession Number
AD0744929

Entities

People

  • Harold D. Black
  • James M. Whisnant
  • Lauren L. Pryor
  • Raulo J. Mcconahy
  • Vincent L. Pisacane

Organizations

  • Johns Hopkins University

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Accuracy
  • Altitude
  • Artificial Satellites
  • Clocks
  • Doppler Effect
  • Frequency
  • Geosynchronous Satellites
  • Ground Stations
  • Instrumentation
  • Navigation Satellites
  • Observation
  • Oscillators
  • Physics Laboratories
  • Satellite Orbits
  • Spacecraft
  • Stations
  • Tracking Stations

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Environmental Remediation and Restoration.
  • Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) Technology.
  • Space Exploration and Orbital Mechanics.

Technology Areas

  • Space
  • Space - Orbital Debris