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Results for “SATELLITE DRAG”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 91 records · Page 5
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1974

Develop minimum thrustor control laws and select orbits for a geodesy drag-free satellite

The original motivation for studying control laws for pulse plasma systems was based on the improved life characteristics possible with pulse plasma jets. These pulse plasma units are relatively massive compared with cold gas thrustors. As a result, therefore, significant mass savings can be achieved by minimizing the the number of thrustors. The control laws, therefore, were developed for thrust available from two thrustors only. In a spinning satellite, these thrustors are sufficient to completely control the vehicle as long as the spin rate is sufficiently high for a given level of external disturbance. The thrustors are canted so that a component of each is along the plus and minus spin axis. The other component of each thrustor acts in the radial direction. It is sufficient to analyze the behavior in the plane of spin assuming a single thrustor.

Breakwell, J. V.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Gradiometer accommodation on board a drag-free satellite

Accommodation of the GRADIO instrument, composed of eight three-axis ultrasensitive accelerometers located at the corners of a cubic structure on a Geopotential Research Mission spacecraft is discussed. A two-stage DISCOS configuration with a magnetically suspended inner-stage; and a very fine control of the Earth pointed inner-stage taking into account the GRADIO accelerometer measurements in order to limit the variations of the angular accelerations are required. For diagonal tensor components and an averaging time of 4 sec, the overall goal is 0.1 Eotvos at 160 km altitude.

Touboul, P.↗
NASA NTRS1976

Environmental dynamics at orbital altitudes

The influence of real satellite aerodynamics on the determination of upper atmospheric density was investigated. A method of analysis of satellite drag data is presented which includes the effect of satellite lift and the variation in aerodynamic properties around the orbit. The studies indicate that satellite lift may be responsible for the observed orbit precession rather than a super rotation of the upper atmosphere. The influence of simplifying assumptions concerning the aerodynamics of objects in falling sphere analysis were evaluated and an improved method of analysis was developed. Wind tunnel data was used to develop more accurate drag coefficient relationships for studying altitudes between 80 and 120 Km. The improved drag coefficient relationships revealed a considerable error in previous falling sphere drag interpretation. These data were reanalyzed using the more accurate relationships. Theoretical investigations of the drag coefficient in the very low speed ratio region were also conducted.

Karr, G. R.↗
NASA NTRS1976

Environmental dynamics at orbital altitudes

The work reported involved the improvement of aerodynamic theory for free molecular and transition flow regimes. The improved theory was applied to interpretation of the dynamic response of objects traveling through the atmosphere. Satellite drag analysis includes analysis methods, atmospheric super rotation effects, and satellite lift effects on orbital dynamics. Transition flow regimes were studied with falling sphere data and errors resulting in inferred atmospheric parameters from falling sphere techniques. Improved drag coefficients reveal considerable error in previous falling sphere data. The drag coefficient has been studied for the entire spectrum of Knudsen Number and speed ratio, with particular emphasis on the theory of the very low-speed ratio regime.

Karr, G. R.↗
NASA NTRS1964

Ionosphere

Electron density and temperature, ion composition and density, and effects of solar corpuscular radiation in ionosphere - satellite drag measurements

ELECTRON TEMPERATURE↗
NASA NTRS1972

Satellite aerodynamics as a function of atmospheric properties.

Demonstration that satellite aerodynamic properties are a function of numerous factors associated with atmospheric properties. Among these factors, the gas composition has influence on the gas surface interaction which in turn has considerable influence on the satellite drag and lift properties. The drag and lift properties, which are also influenced by the orientation of the satellite with respect to the flow, are influenced by upper atmospheric winds which cause changes in the angle of attack of the satellite. Another strong influence on the aerodynamic properties is due to the speed ratio effect which is found to cause a systematic increase in drag coefficient with respect to altitude. The study of these factors is facilitated by the introduction of a generalized gas surface interaction model which is capable of representing a wide range of possible interactions.

Karr, G. R.↗
NASA NTRS1975

An analytic method to account for drag in the Vinti satellite theory

A quadrature algorithm is presented which employs analytical expressions for the variations of satellite orbital elements caused by air drag. The Hamiltonian is formally preserved and the Jacobi constants of the motion are advanced with time through the variational equations. The atmospheric density profile is written as a fitted exponential function of the eccentric anomaly, which adheres to tabulated data at all altitudes and simultaneously reduces the variational equations to definite integrals with closed form evaluations, whose limits are in terms of the eccentric anomaly. Results are given for two intense air drag satellites and indicate that the satellite ephemerides produced by this method in conjunction with the Vinti program are of very high accuracy.

Watson, J. S.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Thermospheric 'temperatures'

The present work attempts to illustrate some of the differences one would expect to find between inferred thermospheric temperatures (i.e., inferred from satellite drag observation of mass density or from molecular nitrogen in situ mass spectrometer measurements) and direct gas temperature measurements (as have been made on board the San Marco satellite). The various temperatures are simulated with theoretical models for the diurnal and annual variations in the thermosphere.

Mayr, H. G.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Investigation of thermospheric winds relative to space station orbital altitudes

An investigation of thermospheric winds, relative to the space station orbital altitudes, was made in order to provide information that is useful in an environmental disturbance assessment. Current plans are for this low Earth orbiting facility to orbit at an inclination of 28.5 deg. The orbital altitudes were not yet defined due to the evolutionary configuration of the Space Station. The upper and lower bounds of the orbital altitudes will be based on constraints set by the drag and expected orbital decay and delivery altitude capability of the Shuttle. The orbital altitude will be estimated on the order of 500 km. Neutral winds in the region from about 80 to 600 km which were derived from satellite drag data, Fabry-Perot interferometers, sounding rockets, ground-based optical Doppler techniques, incoherent scatter radar measurements from Millstone Hill combined with the mass spectrometer and lithium trail neutral wind measurements are examined. The equations of motion of the low Earth orbiting facility are also discussed.

Susko, M.↗