COMSAT

TV TOWER MOSCOW
OSTANKINO
577 m
INSAT
ORBITAl ELEMENTS
Johannes Kepler (1571 1630)
German mathematician, astronomer
and astrologer

1. Planets move in elliptical orbits with the

sun as one focus
 Conic Section

Parabola Ellipse and Circle Hyperbola

e=0

0<e<1

e=1

e>1

b
a
2. the radius vector from the sun to the planet sweeps
out equals areas in equal times

3. T2 : r3 ratio is constant for all planets, where T is

orbital period and r is semi-major axis of the orbit

T2 = (42/).r3
=3.986004418 .10 14 m3/s2= Kepler constant=Gme
Geometry in Orbit Plane

Semi-major Axis a

Eccentricity e
 Geometry of Orbit in Space

INCLINATION (i) 0o I 180o

Equatorial orbit i= 0o or i=180o

Polar orbit i= 90o
Prograde orbit 0o I 90o orbiting Eastward
around Earth
Retrograde orbit 90o I 180o orbiting Westward
around Earth
Right Ascension of Ascending Node () 0o I 360o
( Celestial Longitude)

Argument of Perigee () 0o I 360o

True Anomaly () 0o I 360o

Six Orbital Elements
Impact of each of the elements on Orbit
Impact of each of the elements on Orbit
Isaac Newton (1643 - 1727)
English physicist, mathematician, astronomer, theologian)

Newton discovered the laws of gravitation and explained planetary

and satellite orbits in terms of the balance of forces:

1. Centripetal acceleration m
FIN 2
r
2. Centrifugal force v2
FOUT m
r
Sources of Perturbations
Earth Gravitational Field
Air Drag
Solar Radiation
Sun/Moon Influence
Thruster Activity
Others (e.g. planets, albedo)
 Non uniorm Gravitation of the Earth

Earth's gravity
measured by
NASA's GRACE
mission,
showing
deviations from
the theoretical
gravity of an
idealized
smooth Earth,
the so called
earth ellipsoid.

Red shows the areas where gravity is stronger than the smooth,
standard value, and blue reveals areas where gravity is weaker.
. Orbit Perturbations
Air Drag
Generally decrease of semi-major
axis
For elliptical orbits decrease of
apogee height
For circular orbits decrease of orbital
height
Decrease of orbital period (increase
of satellite velocity)
Depending on Solar activity (Solar
Flux)
Orbit Determination Principles (1)
[z f ] Min
Look Angles Chart for
Geostationary satellite