Orbit determination (OD) approaches operationally model the Tracking and Data Relay Satellites (TDRS) as homogenous spheres for nonconservative force modeling. To improve definitive orbit determination and prediction accuracies, and to employ TDRSS tracking of user satellites within various geophysical investigations, a detailed TDRS spacecraft model has been developed. The enhanced TDRS model represents the spacecraft as a combination of twenty-four flat plates. The radiative forces acting on each plate are computed and vector summed to produce the overall acceleration on the spacecraft center of mass. An initial model, based on pre-launch engineering information, has been refined to better fit observed spacecraft accelerations. The Goddard TDRS-5 Model 3 (GT5M3) improves orbit accuracy, yields better fits to the tracking data, significantly reduces residual accelerations, and improves orbit prediction capability.


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    Title :

    Enhanced Radiative Force Modeling of the Tracking and Data Relay Satellites


    Additional title:

    J of Astronaut Sci


    Contributors:

    Published in:

    Publication date :

    1997-09-01


    Size :

    22 pages




    Type of media :

    Article (Journal)


    Type of material :

    Electronic Resource


    Language :

    English




    Enhanced Radiative Force Modeling of the Tracking and Data Relay Satellites

    Luthcke, S. B. / Marshall, J. A. / Rowton, S. C. et al. | Online Contents | 1997



    Tracking and data relay satellites

    Jones, A. E. / Stampfl, R. A. | NTRS | 1970


    Tracking and Data Relay Satellites

    Stampfl, Rudolf A. / Jones, Alton E. | IEEE | 1970


    GSFC network operations with Tracking and Data Relay Satellites

    Spearing, R. / Perreten, D. E. | NTRS | 1984