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Lageos orbit and solar eclipsesThe objective was to assess the importance of solar eclipses on Lageos' orbit. Solar radiation pressure perturbs the orbit of the Lageos satellite. The GEODYN orbit determination computer program includes solar radiation pressure as one of the forces operating on the satellite as it integrates the orbit. GEODYN also takes into account the extinction of sunlight when Lageos moves into the Earth's shadow. The effect of solar eclipses on the semimajor axis of Lageos' orbit was computed analytically by assuming Lageos to be in a circular orbit, the Sun and the Moon to be in the plane of the orbit, and the Moon to be stationary in the sky in front of the Sun. Also, the magnitude of the radiation pressure is assumed to be linearly related to the angular separation of the Sun and Moon, and that Lageos is a perfect absorber of radiation. The computation indicates that an eclipse of the Sun by the Moon as seen by Lageos can affect the semimajor axis at the 1 centimeter (1 cm) level. Such a change is significant enough to include in GEODYN, in order to get an accurate orbit for Lageos.
Document ID
19840022396
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Preprint (Draft being sent to journal)
Authors
Rubincam, D. P.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Date Acquired
August 12, 2013
Publication Date
June 1, 1984
Publication Information
Publication: Res. Activities of the Geodyn. Branch
Subject Category
Solar Physics
Accession Number
84N30465
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.

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