Satellite orbit perturbations in a dusty Martian atmosphere
| Scientific Paper | |
|---|---|
| Title | Satellite orbit perturbations in a dusty Martian atmosphere |
| Author(s) | Ioannis Iraklis Haranas, Spiros Pagiatakis |
| Keywords | {{{keywords}}} |
| Published | 2010 |
| Journal | None |
| Volume | Submitted Astrophysics and Spa |
| No. of pages | 26 |
Abstract
In this paper we calculate the effect of atmospheric dust on the orbital elements of a satellite. Dust storms that originate in the Martian surface may evolve into global storms in the atmosphere that can last for months and can affect low orbiter and lander missions. We model the dust as a velocitysquare depended drag force acting on a satellite and we derive an appropriate disturbing function that accounts for the effect of dust on the orbit, using Lagrangean formulation. A first-order perturbation solution of Lagrange's planetary equations of motion indicates that for a local dust storm cloud that has a possible density of 8.323?e10-10 kg m-3 at an altitude of 100 km affects the orbital semimajor axis of a 1000kg satellite up -0.142 m day-1. Regional dust storms of the same density may affect the semimajor axis up to of -0.418 meters per day. Other orbital elements are also affected but to a lesser extend.
