Calculating satellite umbra/penumbra entry and exit positions and times
Abstract
The problem of calculating earth satellite entry/exit positions and times through the earth's umbra and penumbra for elliptical satellite orbits is solved in closed form; i.e., without iteration, by reducing the problem to that of finding the roots of a quartic polynomial in a cartesian coordinate. Typical results from an algorithm constructed from the method are shown.
- Publication:
-
Journal of the Astronautical Sciences
- Pub Date:
- December 1991
- Bibcode:
- 1991JAnSc..39..411M
- Keywords:
-
- Orbital Position Estimation;
- Penumbras;
- Satellite Orbits;
- Spacecraft Motion;
- Umbras;
- Algorithms;
- Cartesian Coordinates;
- Elliptical Orbits;
- Polynomials;
- Shadows;
- Astrodynamics