Basic Orbital Mechanics

Conic Sections

Eccentricity Conic
=0 Circle
0-1 Ellipse
=1 Parabola

>1 Hyperbola
Elliptical Orbit Geometry
Conic Sections

V 2
 
  
2 R 2a

Vcircular 
R
 Classical Orbital Elements
• Semi-Major Axis, a
– Size

 
2a
• Eccentricity, e
– Shape

2c
e
2a
a3
Period  2 Kepler’s 3rd Law

 Classical Orbital Elements
• Inclination
– Tilt Inclination Orbit
= 90º Polar
0º or 180º Equatorial
0º - 90º Prograde
90º - 180º Retrograde

hZ
cos i 
h
 Classical Orbital Elements
• Right Ascension of
the Ascending Node  ˆ 
(RAAN) n  K h
nX
cos  
n
If n y  0, then 0    180
If n y  0, then 180    360
 Classical Orbital Elements
• Argument of Perigee
 
n e
cos  
ne

If eZ  0, then 0    180

If eZ  0, then 180    360

 Classical Orbital Elements
• True Anomaly

 
eR
cos 
eR
 
If (R  V)  0, then 0    180
 
If (R  V)  0, then 180    360
 Computing COEs
• From a R and V vector
– Can compute the 6 COEs
– Also works in reverse (given COEs compute
R and V)
– Example:

R  0 Iˆ  0 Jˆ  7500 Kˆ km
km
V  0 Iˆ  7.5 Jˆ  0 Kˆ
sec
 COEs
• a = 7965.1 km
• e = 0.0584
• i = 90º
•  = 270º
•  = 90º
•  = 0º

• Mission: Probably remote sensing or a spy

satellite because it’s in a low, polar orbit.
 Ground Tracks

Ground Track Slides Courtesy of Major David French

COE Determination

a3
P  2


ΔN

Δ longitude
ΔN
P=
15º / hr

Semimajor axis
COE Determination

Eccentricity
COE Determination

i = highest latitude

Inclination
COE Determination

ω = 90º

Argument of Perigee
COE Determination

True Anomaly
Orbit Examples
Molniya
Geostationary
Geosynchronous
 Geosynchronous

e=0

e = 0.4
e=0  = 180
i = 0 e = 0.6
 = 90
 Orbit Prediction
• Kepler’s Problem
– If we know where a satellite (or
II. The line joining the
planet) is today, where in its orbit will planet to the Sun
it be tomorrow? sweeps out equal areas
in equal times as the
– Kepler devised a series of planet travels around
mathematical expressions to solve the ellipse.
this particular problem
• Eccentric Anomaly
• Mean Anomaly
• True Anomaly
 Orbit Prediction
• Kepler defined the
Eccentric Anomaly to
relate elliptical motion
to circular motion
• He also defined Mean
Anomaly to make the
circular motion
constant
• Convert unsteady
elliptical motion into
unsteady circular
motion into steady
circular motion…
 Orbit Prediction

 , E , M are always in the same half - plane

  E  M for   0 or 180
 Orbital Prediction
• Given
a = 7000 km
e = 0.05
 = 270º

Find the time of flight to final = 50º

 Orbital Prediction
• 
n = 0.001078 rad/sec n
• Einitial = 272.87º a3
• Efuture = 47.84º e  cos
• cos E 
Minitial = 275.73º 1  e cos
• Mfuture = 45.72º
• TOF = 2104.58 sec or M  E  e sin E
35.08 min
M f  M i  2k
TOF 
n