Accession Number:

AD0656086

Title:

ON APPROXIMATING A PERIODIC ATMOSPHERIC DRAG FUNCTION FOR SATELLITES BY A PIECEWISE CONSTANT FUNCTION.

Descriptive Note:

Technical rept.,

Corporate Author:

NAVAL WEAPONS LAB DAHLGREN VA

Personal Author(s):

• Zondek,Bernd

Report Date:

1967-05-24

Pagination or Media Count:

17.0

Abstract:

A satellite is affected by periodic drag fluctuations. We approximate the periodic drag by a step function. We calculate the standard deviation in the satellites coordinates due to this approximation. The results permit us to estimate the time over which we may keep the drag coefficient constant so as to achieve any desired degree of signal reduction. We confine ourselves to circular orbits. Numerical results are given for a 90 minute satellite and a drag to gravity ratio of 2 x 10 to the -8th power. Author

Descriptors:

• *ARTIFICIAL SATELLITES
• *CIRCULAR ORBITS
• LEAST SQUARES METHOD
• GRAVITY
• PERTURBATION THEORY
• DRAG
• MATHEMATICAL ANALYSIS

Subject Categories:

• Spacecraft Trajectories and Reentry

Distribution Statement:

APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE