Accession Number:

AD0607041

Title:

DETERMINATION OF ORBITS USING OPTICAL MEANS.

Descriptive Note:

Master's thesis,

Corporate Author:

AIR FORCE INST OF TECH WRIGHT-PATTERSON AFB OHIO

Personal Author(s):

• Ciplickas,John

Report Date:

1964-08-01

Pagination or Media Count:

77.0

Abstract:

The object of this thesis was to develop a method of determining the orbit of an uncooperative satellite from an observer satellite of known orbit using optical means. Using the method of Gauss, a set of equations was developed for satellites around the earth. The optical instrument is a simple telescope, mounted on an inertial platform, which reads the right ascension and declination angles. An error analysis was performed on these equations, and a computer program set up. The input data used produced unsatisfactory results, which were attributed to program error. Author

Descriptors:

• *OPTICAL INSTRUMENTS
• *ARTIFICIAL SATELLITES
• DETERMINATION
• SPACE NAVIGATION
• ORBITS
• EQUATIONS
• COMPUTER PROGRAMMING
• ERRORS

Subject Categories:

Distribution Statement:

APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE