Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Engineering Commons

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Astrodynamics

Air Force Institute of Technology

Orbits

Articles 1 - 2 of 2

Full-Text Articles in Engineering

Spacecraft Orbit Determination System, Daniel M. Dombrowski, Robert A. Bettinger Mar 2023

Spacecraft Orbit Determination System, Daniel M. Dombrowski, Robert A. Bettinger

AFIT Patents

The present invention relates to a resident space object orbit determination system comprising a high efficiency module for determining a resident space object's orbit and a highly efficient method for determining same. Applicants developed a method and system to determine the orbits of residence space objects including resident space objects that do not reflect energy that is directed at them and/or may be coated to minimize the ability to accurately see such resident space objects. Thus, a method, a module and a system for making such determinations that can easily and inexpensively be added to an early warning reentry system …


Optimal Non-Coplanar Launch To Quick Rendezvous, Gregory B. Sears Dec 1997

Optimal Non-Coplanar Launch To Quick Rendezvous, Gregory B. Sears

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the feasibility of launching a Delta Clipper-like vehicle on an optimal, non-coplanar trajectory to rendezvous with an earth orbiting object in one orbit or less. The focus of the research was to determine what such a trajectory would look like, and to determine the cost, in payload mass, of flying such a trajectory. A model for the ascent trajectory was developed using the dynamics equations of motion, an atmosphere model, and an aerodynamic model for the DC-Y concept vehicle. A boundary value problem was posed and solved for a coplanar rendezvous. The …