The paper presents simple methods for determining moderately eccentric orbits from the satellite; linear combinations of time-of-flight measurements are used exclusively. The method is based on a third-order expansion of the satellite law of motion in terms of orbital eccentricity epsilon. Thus, the approximation is very good for epsilon < or = 0.1. A simple technique, which is insensitive to systematic sensor errors, is proposed to circularize an orbit automatically. Another application is the automatic station-keeping of satellites, which has been realized for the first time, using the ideas of this paper, in the recently launched Lincoln Experimental Satellite LES-6. (Author)


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    Title :

    Orbit Determination from the Satellite


    Contributors:

    Publication date :

    1968


    Size :

    9 pages


    Type of media :

    Report


    Type of material :

    No indication


    Language :

    English




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