Ten orbit determinations for Cosmos 472 rocket
Abstract
The orbit of Cosmos 472 rocket, 1972-04B, was determined from 461 observations at 10 epochs during the last 2 months of its life. The first 8 orbits were satisfactory, with average standard deviations equivalent to 220 m in cross-track distance and 75 m in radial distance. The variation of perigee height was analyzed to obtain four values of density scale height. The first three showed good agreement with CIRA 1972. Unfortunately the geometry of the orbit is such that the decrease in inclination does not yield an exact value of atmospheric rotation.
- Publication:
-
NASA STI/Recon Technical Report N
- Pub Date:
- October 1982
- Bibcode:
- 1982STIN...8328046W
- Keywords:
-
- Atmospheric Circulation;
- Atmospheric Density;
- Cosmos Satellites;
- Minimum Variance Orbit Determination;
- Orbital Elements;
- Angles (Geometry);
- Drift Rate;
- Orbit Calculation;
- Orbit Decay;
- Perigees;
- Standard Deviation;
- Astrodynamics