Abstract

Accurate propagation of Low Earth Orbiting (LEO) satellites is increasingly important for conjunction analyses where numerous mega-constellations are planned or are being built. The predominant source of uncertainty for LEO satellites is due to mis-modeling of atmospheric drag. There are plenty of opportunities for uncertainty – from the model indices, to the density models themselves. These errors translate directly to increased uncertainty in the ability to accurately predict satellite conjunctions which could be devastating to orbital regimes and adversely affect space commerce activities. I’ll go through several of these topics and provide examples to help understand the relative effect of each.

Speaker

Lt Col (USAF Ret) David Vallado

Lt Col (USAF Ret) David A. Vallado is currently a Senior Research Astrodynamicist with COMSPOC in the Center for Space Standards and Innovation. He is the author of the textbook, Fundamentals of Astrodynamics and Applications (5th edition, 2022). He is a Fellow in the American Astronautical Society (2006). He has a BS in Astronautical Engineering in 1980 from the US Air Force Academy, a MS in Systems Management from the University of Southern California in 1982 and a MS in Astronautical Engineering from the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT) in 1984. After retiring from the Air Force, he was a Principal Engineer with Raytheon Intelligence and Information Systems and an Astrodynamics Researcher with Analytical Graphics Inc.