An analysis of the orbital inclination of the Beacon Explorer C spacecraft over a period of nearly five months in 1970 revealed a very clear and distinctive perturbation caused by the earth and ocean tides. The perturbation has a full amplitude of about 1.8 seconds of arc and a period of about 85 days. This amplitude is approximately 15% smaller than would be expected from the solid-earth tide alone and is shifted slightly in phase. The perturbation can be represented almost exactly by a Love number of k sub 2 = 0.245 with a phase lag of 3.2 degrees. The data used were laser range measurements obtained by a NASA Goddard Space Flight Center tracking system in Greenbelt, Maryland. (Author)


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    Title :

    A Determination of the Earth Tidal Amplitude and Phase from the Orbital Perturbations of the Beacon Explorer C Spacecraft


    Contributors:
    D. E. Smith (author) / R. Kolenkiewicz (author) / P. J. Dunn (author)

    Publication date :

    1973


    Size :

    8 pages


    Type of media :

    Report


    Type of material :

    No indication


    Language :

    English