Trajectory Equations of Motion in Radar Polar Coordinates

摘要

The equations of motion of a body under the influence of the earth's gravity and atmospheric drag are obtained in radar polar coordinates. The choice of this coordinate system may have important advantages in various tracking and filtering algorithms. A rotating ellipsoidal earth with gravitational terms up through the second (easily extendable) harmonic is assumed. The effects of a non-spherical earth along with the corresponding effects of the higher gravitational harmonics can be important in the estimation of ballistic coefficients at very low deceleration levels. (Author)