Variations in air density, satellite drag coefficient and atmospheric rotation rate from analysis of the orbit of 1966-92D

Details Variations in air density, satellite drag coefficient and atmospheric rotation rate from analysis of the orbit of 1966-92D Variations in air density, satellite drag coefficient and atmospheric rotation rate from analysis of the orbit of 1966-92D

Jun 1975

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1975p%26ss...23.1003b&link_type=abstract

Planetary and Space Science, vol. 23, June 1975, p. 1003-1010. USAF-supported research.

Mathematics

Aerodynamic Coefficients, Atmospheric Density, Molniya Satellites, Satellite Drag, Satellite Orbits, Annual Variations, Atmospheric Circulation, Density Measurement, Geomagnetism, Mathematical Models, Orbital Mechanics, Perigees, Wind Velocity

Scientific paper

Variations in air density, the satellite drag coefficient, and the atmospheric rotation rate at 60 deg S lat and a height of 120 to 130 km are determined from analysis of the high-eccentricity orbit of the fourth Molniya 1 satellite. Good correlation is found between density increases and strong geomagnetic activity. A semiannual density variation of 30% is observed, and the satellite drag coefficient is shown to begin decreasing with height at the altitude where the molecular mean free path is twice the satellite's length. A mean atmospheric rotation rate of about 1.1 earth rotation/day is obtained for the last 20 days of orbital decay, and variations are observed which have west-to-east wind speeds of about 100m/sec measured over a 13-hour period of local time. It is concluded that it is possible to obtain successful decay analyses using high-eccentricity orbits with very low perigee heights.

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