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SATCAT Advanced Topics

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Table of Contents

  1. Spacetrack
    1. Predictability of Orbits
    2. The Tracking Solution
    3. Metric Observations
    4. Radar Spacetrack
      • Capabilities and Limitations of Radar
      • Mechanical Radars
        • AN/FPS-16 Instrumentation Radar
        • GLOBUS II
      • Phased Array Radars
        • PAVE PAWS / UEWR (AN/FPS-132)
        • PARCS (AN/FPQ-16)
        • Eglin AFB Site C-6 (AN/FPS-85)
        • Space Fence
      • Radar Cross Section (RCS)
    5. Optical Spacetrack
      • Capabilities and Limitations of Telescopes and Low-Light Television (LLTV)
      • Optical Systems
        • Ground-Based Electro-optical Deep Space Surveillance System (GEODSS)
        • Advanced Electro-optical System (AEOS)
        • Space Surveillance Telescope
      • Visual Magnitude (VISMAG)
  2. Orbital Mechanics
    1. Reference Frames
      • Establishing an Inertial Frame
      • The Perifocal Frame
      • The Ecliptic Frame
      • Geocentric Frames
        • Earth-Centered Inertial (ECI)
        • Earth-Centered, Earth-Fixed (ECEF)
      • Spacecraft Frames
        • Radial, In-track, Cross-track (RIC)
        • Local Vertical, Local Horizontal (LVLH)
    2. Orbit Types
    3. Computing Orbital Elements
    4. The Two-Body Problem
    5. The Three-Body Problem
    6. The N-Body Problem
    7. Gauss's Method
    8. Lambert's Problem
    9. Ground Tracks
    10. Launch Windows
    11. Orbital Maneuvers
    12. Rendezvous/Proximity Operations
    13. Clohessy-Wiltshire (CW) Equations or Hill's Equations
  3. The TLE Format
    1. The Alpha-5 Scheme
    2. Checksum Validation
  4. Orbit Prediction
    1. Simplified General Perturbations (SGP) Models
    2. Simplified Deep Space Perturbations (SDP) Models
  5. Further Reading

Spacetrack

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Predictability of Orbits

The Tracking Solution

Metric Observations

Radar Spacetrack

Capabilities and Limitations of Radar

Mechanical Radars

AN/FPS-16 Instrumentation Radar
GLOBUS II

Phased Array Radars

PAVE PAWS / UEWR (AN/FPS-132)
PARCS (AN/FPQ-16)
Eglin AFB Site C-6 (AN/FPS-85)
Space Fence

Radar Cross Section (RCS)

Optical Spacetrack

Capabilities and Limitations of Telescopes and Low-Light Television (LLTV)

Optical Systems

Ground-Based Electro-optical Deep Space Surveillance System (GEODSS)
Advanced Electro-optical System (AEOS)
Space Surveillance Telescope

Visual Magnitude (VISMAG)

Orbital Mechanics

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Reference Frames

Establishing an Inertial Frame

The Perifocal Frame

The Ecliptic Frame

Geocentric Frames

Earth-Centered Inertial (ECI)
Earth-Centered, Earth-Fixed (ECEF)

Spacecraft Frames

Radial, In-track, Cross-track (RIC)
Local Vertical, Local Horizontal (LVLH)

Orbit Types

Computing Orbital Elements

The Two-Body Problem

The Three-Body Problem

The N-Body Problem

Gauss's Method

Lambert's Problem

Ground Tracks

Launch Windows

Orbital Maneuvers

Rendezvous/Proximity Operations

Clohessy-Wiltshire (CW) or Hill's Equations

The TLE Format

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The Alpha-5 Scheme

Checksum Validation

Orbit Prediction

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Simplified General Perturbations (SGP) Models

Simplified Deep Space Perturbations (SDP) Models

Further Reading

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