Preliminary Orbit Determination of Artificial Earth Satellites from a Small Number of Angle-Only Observations

Abstract

The problem of determining the preliminary orbital elements of a previously unobserved earth satellite from a minimum number of angle-only observations has been investigated. The Planetary Ephemeris Program (PEP) was used to generate exact ephemerides (of selected orbits) which were then used as input to an angle-only tracking algorithm derived from the method of Gauss. This algorithm yields the approximate orbital elements under the assumption of Keplerian motion. Comparison of these elements with the ones assumed in PEP has indicated that the Keplerian approximation improves considerably as the unknown satellite altitude is increased from 1/4 to 3 times synchronous, and that such a tracking algorithm would be useful in many practical situations where one is constrained to a few angle-only observations. Estimates are given of the accuracy needed in the input data to insure reasonable success in this method of preliminary orbit determination.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jan 09, 1973
Accession Number
AD0755399

Entities

People

  • Barry W. Bryant
  • Donna M. Edwards

Organizations

  • Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Accuracy
  • Artificial Satellites
  • Classification
  • Computers
  • Contracts
  • Coordinate Systems
  • Department Of Defense
  • Elliptical Orbits
  • Ephemerides
  • Equations
  • Massachusetts
  • Orbital Elements
  • Orbits
  • Perihelions
  • Quadrants
  • Satellite Orbits
  • Time Intervals

Readers

  • Molecular and genetic basis of cancer.
  • Operations Research
  • Space Exploration and Orbital Mechanics.

Technology Areas

  • Space
  • Space - Orbital Debris