Database of photometric periods of artificial satellites
Abstract
A database of photometric periods of artificial satellites (PPAS) is presented. It contains almost 40,000 measurements of the tumbling period of over 1,300 different artificial satellites. The measurements were obtained from visual observations of the tumbling behavior of artificial satellites by 140 amateur satellite observers between 1962 and now. The satellites observed include payloads and discarded third stages, but also smaller pieces of space debris. The PPAS database could be used to study the effects of collisions of small space debris with larger artificial satellites on the tumbling behavior of the latter. As an example of the possible use of the PPAS database, we present a preliminary study of the tumbling period evolution with time for discarded third stages. Several cases of non-typical evolution (e.g. sudden jumps in the tumbling period) have been found, some of which can probably be interpreted as collisions of the third stages with small pieces of space debris. A careful analysis of the data in the PPAS database could shed light on collision probabilities of active payloads with space debris.
- Publication:
-
Advances in Space Research
- Pub Date:
- May 1997
- DOI:
- 10.1016/S0273-1177(97)00005-7
- Bibcode:
- 1997AdSpR..19..229D