The Analysis of Near-Earth Satellite Astrometric Data at the ETS.
Abstract
The activities at the ETS have expanded from observations of deep-space artificial satellites during the dark hours to observations of near-Earth satellites near noon. Not only do these varying tasks require different video cameras and associated equipment, they can benefit from a tailored analysis of the resulting astrometric data. In particular, the observation of near-Earth artificial satellites very near the astronomical zenith has become a frequent mode of operation. For some of these satellites a parallax can be discerned when both ETS telescopes are used. For others, their nearly circular orbit coupled with a zenith passage suffices to fix their element set. Keywords: angles only data; parallax; near-earth satellite; orbital element sets; celestial mechanics; data reduction; zenithal observations.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 12, 1985
- Accession Number
- ADA163902
Entities
People
- Laurence G. Taff
Organizations
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology