Short Arc Orbit Determination for Anna Satellite

摘要

A differential orbit correction procedure and its application to observations distributed over short arcs of the geodetic satellite ANNA are presented in this report. Also included is an analysis of the accuracy achieved in determining the position and velocity of the satellite. Numerical results have been obtained for a short arc application, using highly precise optical observations. These results show the reliability of the procedure and its degree of precision. In particular, a standard deviation of about three seconds of arc has been obtained. This result is consistent with the accuracies in measured spherical coordinates of right ascension and declination. The size of the error ellipsoid in position has also been determined, and its largest semiaxis has been found to be about 250 feet. The larger context in which the study was undertaken was the need for a precise position and velocity standard for the calibration of missile-tracking range instruments. (Author)