The Effect of Radiation Pressure on the Secular Acceleration of Satellites

Computer Science

Scientific paper

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Scientific paper

Satellite accelerations play a crucial role in determining the structure of the high atmosphere, and it is therefore important to assess and eliminate the effect of perburbing forces that compete with air drag and may confuse our picture of the thermosphere. In particular, this study evaluates the effect of solar-radiation pressure on the secular acceleration of earth satellites. For perigee heights less than about 800 km the period changes due to radiation pressure are minor compared with those due to atmospheric drag. At greater heights and lower air densities, radiation pressure becomes increasingly important. When a satellite is in sunshine all around its orbit, the period change arising from the pressure of sunlight is zero. But during the weeks or months it is penetrating the earth's shadow and is therefore exposed to a photon wind only part of each circuit, the secular acceleration, may attain substantial values, positive or negative, depending on the orientation of the orbit relative to the sun. Several special cases of orientation are discussed, and a general formula for computing secular accelerations due to radiation pressure is derived as far as terms in the square of the eccentricity.

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