Design of a Satellite Experiment for Atmospheric Density and Near-Free Aerodynamics

Details Design of a Satellite Experiment for Atmospheric Density and Near-Free Aerodynamics Design of a Satellite Experiment for Atmospheric Density and Near-Free Aerodynamics

Jun 1967

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1967saosr.241.....l&link_type=abstract

SAO Special Report #241 (1967)

Computer Science

Performance

1

Scientific paper

The atmospheric drag on a satellite is conveniently determined from the rate of change of the orbital period dP/dt. This procedure can be extended to the near-free-molecule-flow regime, in which the drag coefficient of a sphere is expressed by CD=CDfm - F(Sb, S∞) /K, where CDfm is the free-molecule-flow coefficient, and F(Sb, S∞) is a function of the molecular speed ratios for gas diffusely emitted from the body surface and for the free stream. The free-stream Knudsen number K can be expressed as1/K = BDp, where D is the sphere diameter, p is the atmospheric density, and B is a constant. In terms of the usual orbital elements and the density at perigee pP. dP/dt = -3a (A/m) (f1 C Dfm pP - f2BD F p2P), where fi)=∫π0(p/pP)i [(1 + e cos E)3/2/(1 - e cos E)½)]dE. From the measured dP/dt for two or more satellites with nearly identical A/m and orbits, it would be possible to find the atmospheric density at low altitude and a value of F for comparison with theory. For a practical experiment, particular orbit characteristics and satellite parameters must be selected to match available launch-vehicle. Two concrete examples are discussed. The first assumes the performance of the Scout vehicle. This example shows that a reasonable experiment seems possible even for this modest vehicle. The second example adopts parameters that may be typical of a secondary mission on a Saturn class vehicle.

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