Start Date
4-1968 8:00 AM
Description
A computer system is described which can process raw tracker data from low or intermediate altitude artificial satellites and produce a tracker drive tape for future passes. Alternately (once the future passes have been tracked) graphical printout of the errors between actual and predicted pointing angles and ranges can "be obtained. The system is a descendant of those used for the intermediate altitude TELSTAR satellites.
The use of the system with data from, a low altitude satellite (perigee height «\110 miles,, eccentricity ^.02^ inclination angle «BQ°) is documented. One particular result, obtained by processing 10 passes from 5 sites over a 3-1/2 day interval (estimating the drag parameter from data within this interval)^ and then making a one day prediction had typical geocentric angular errors of .006°. These errors have the same magnitude as those obtained when reconstructing the data, and thus could be reduced significantly only by obtaining more accurate data.
This discussion is presented in the hope that more detailed descriptions of operational procedures than are usually found in the literature may prove beneficial in practical situations.
Orbit Determination and Prediction for Low or Intermediate Altitude Satellites
A computer system is described which can process raw tracker data from low or intermediate altitude artificial satellites and produce a tracker drive tape for future passes. Alternately (once the future passes have been tracked) graphical printout of the errors between actual and predicted pointing angles and ranges can "be obtained. The system is a descendant of those used for the intermediate altitude TELSTAR satellites.
The use of the system with data from, a low altitude satellite (perigee height «\110 miles,, eccentricity ^.02^ inclination angle «BQ°) is documented. One particular result, obtained by processing 10 passes from 5 sites over a 3-1/2 day interval (estimating the drag parameter from data within this interval)^ and then making a one day prediction had typical geocentric angular errors of .006°. These errors have the same magnitude as those obtained when reconstructing the data, and thus could be reduced significantly only by obtaining more accurate data.
This discussion is presented in the hope that more detailed descriptions of operational procedures than are usually found in the literature may prove beneficial in practical situations.
Comments
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