Fundamentals of Astrodynamics
ae4874 – I
Instructor: Kevin Cowan
10 September 2019
ⓘ
credit: Wylie Overstreet & Alex Gorosh 1
The two-body problem
§5 – Two-body problem
5.1 — Conservation laws
5.2 — Shape of the orbit
5.3 — Conic sections
5.4 — Kepler’s laws
5.5 — From geocentrism to heliocentrism
5.6 — Velocity components
5.7 — Eccentricity vector
5.8 — Stability of Keplerian orbits
5.9 — Roche limit
5.10 — Relativistic effects
5.11 — Poynting-Robertson effect
See also: Curtis, §2.1–2.5
3
The trajectory equation
4
§5
The trajectory equation
h ~ angular momentum
µ ~ gravitational parameter (Gm1)
4
§5
The trajectory equation
p ~ semi-latus rectum
a ae
m1 at focus
4
§5
The trajectory equation
p ~ semi-latus rectum
a ~ semi-major axis
p
a ae
m1 at focus
4
§5
The trajectory equation
p ~ semi-latus rectum
a ~ semi-major axis
e ~ eccentricity p
a ae
m1 at focus
4
§5
The trajectory equation
p ~ semi-latus rectum
a ~ semi-major axis
e ~ eccentricity p
𝜈 ~ true anomaly
a ae
m1 at focus
4
§5
The trajectory equation
p ~ semi-latus rectum
a ~ semi-major axis m2
e ~ eccentricity p
𝜈 ~ true anomaly
r ~ radius to m2 a ae
m1 at focus
4
§5
The trajectory equation
p
rp ~ radius at
periapsis rp
a ae
4
§5
The trajectory equation
p
rp ~ radius at
periapsis rp
a ae
4
§5
The trajectory equation
ra rp
a ae
ra ~ radius at
apoapsis
4
§5
The trajectory equation
ra rp
a ae
ra ~ radius at
apoapsis
4
§5
The trajectory equation
a ae
ra rp
§5 2a 4
The trajectory equation
a ae
4
§5
The trajectory equation
a ae
4
§5
The trajectory equation
a ae
4
§5
Elliptical orbits
§6 – Elliptical trajectories
6.1 — Geometry, energy, and angular momentum
6.2 — Circular orbit
6.3 — Velocity and orbital period
6.4 — Kepler’s third law
6.5 — Kepler’s equation (coming soon)
6.6 — Graphical and analytical solution of Kepler’s equation (coming soon)
6.7 — Lambert’s theorem (coming soon)
See also: Curtis, § 2.6-2.7, 3.1-3.4
6
The trajectory equation - example
Sloshsat Ariane 5-ECA rocket
Launch
• A Dutch experimental micro-satellite
from Kourou
• Purpose: test the dynamics of fluid in orbit Launch date 12 February 2005
Mission duration 10 days
Mass 127 kg
SATCAT/NORAD 28544
NSSDC/COSPAR 2005-005C
source: NASA
§6 7
Reference sources
• space-track.org
satellite data including: full (public) JSpOC database,
orbital parameters, TLE’s, decay data, collision risk,
filter/search functionality
• n2yo.com
satellite data including: orbital parameters, TLE’s,
ground tracks, satellite blurbs, observational data,
communication specifications, etc.
• stuffin.space
3D visualization with ‘live’ satellite data
§6 8
Reference sources
• space-track.org ⓘ
satellite data including: full (public) JSpOC database, ⓘ
orbital parameters, TLE’s, decay data, collision risk,
filter/search functionality
• n2yo.com
ⓘ
satellite data including: orbital parameters, TLE’s,
ground tracks, satellite blurbs, observational data,
communication specifications, etc.
• stuffin.space
ⓘ
3D visualization with ‘live’ satellite data
§6 8
The trajectory equation - example
Given: Sloshsat orbital data
µ⨁ 398,600 km3/s2
r⨁ 6,367 km
hp 284 km
ha 33,370 km
source: Wolfram Research
§6 9
The trajectory equation - example
Given: Sloshsat orbital data
µ⨁ 398,600 km3/s2
r⨁ 6,367 km
hp 284 km
ha 33,370 km
Find: rp, ra, a, e
• Which other parameters can you determine?
source: Wolfram Research
§6 9
The trajectory equation - example
Given: Sloshsat orbital data
µ⨁ 398,600 km3/s2
r⨁ 6,367 km
hp 284 km
ha 33,370 km
Find: rp, ra, a, e
• Which other parameters can you determine?
source: Wolfram Research
§6 9
The trajectory equation - example
Given: Sloshsat orbital data
µ⨁ 398,600 km3/s2
r⨁ 6,367 km
hp 284 km
ha 33,370 km
Find: rp, ra, a, e
• Which other parameters can you determine?
source: Wolfram Research
§6 9
The trajectory equation - example
Given: Sloshsat orbital data
µ⨁ 398,600 km3/s2
r⨁ 6,367 km
hp 284 km
ha 33,370 km
Find: rp, ra, a, e
• Which other parameters can you determine?
source: Wolfram Research
§6 9
The trajectory equation - example
Given: Sloshsat orbital data
µ⨁ 398,600 km3/s2
r⨁ 6,367 km
hp 284 km
ha 33,370 km
Find: rp, ra, a, e
• Which other parameters can you determine?
source: Wolfram Research
§6 9
Elliptical orbits - observations
§6.1 10
Elliptical orbits - observations
r vs. θ for several e (a=7,500 km)
§6.1 10
Elliptical orbits - observations
r vs. θ for several e (a=7,500 km)
• Higher eccentricities means higher
variations in r
§6.1 10
Elliptical orbits - observations
r vs. θ for several e (a=7,500 km)
• Higher eccentricities means higher
variations in r
• Common engineering sense:
r < r⨁ is not feasible
§6.1 10
Elliptical orbits - observations
r vs. θ for several e (a=7,500 km)
• Higher eccentricities means higher
variations in r
• Common engineering sense:
r < r⨁ is not feasible
• Don’t confuse r (radius) with h (height/
altitude)
§6.1 10
Elliptical orbits - observations
• How would you make a plot
of v versus θ over an orbit?
§6.1 11
Elliptical orbits - observations
v vs. θ for several e (a=7,500 km)
• How would you make a plot
of v versus θ over an orbit?
§6.1 11
Velocity and the orbital period
§6.3 12
Velocity and the orbital period
§6.3 13
Velocity and the orbital period
§6.3 13
Velocity and the orbital period
§6.3 14
Velocity and the orbital period
§6.3 14
Energy equation (a.k.a. “vis-viva” equation)
• specific kinetic energy
• specific potential energy
This slide deck will be updated; check Brightspace
for updates after 12 sep 2019.
§6 16
