Frozen Orbital Plane Solutions for Satellites in Nearly Circular Orbit

Abstract

This paper deals with the determination of the initial conditions (right ascension of the ascending node and inclination) that minimize the orbital plane variation for nearly circular orbits with a semimajor axis between 3 and 10 Earth radii. An analysis of two-line elements over the last 40 years for mid-, geostationary-, and high-Earth orbits has shown, for initially quasi-circular orbits, low eccentricity variations up to the geostationary altitude. This result makes the application of mathematical models based on satellite circular orbits advantageous for a fast prediction of long-term temporal evolution of the orbital plane. To this purpose, a previous model considering the combined effect due to the Earth’s oblateness, moon, and sun (both in circular orbit) has been improved in terms of required computational time and accuracy. The eccentricity of the sun and moon and the equinoctial precession have been taken into account. Resonance phenomena with the lunar plane motion have been found in mid-Earth orbit. Dynamical properties concerning the precession motions of the orbital pole have been investigated, and frozen solutions for geosynchronous and navigation satellites have been proposed. Finally, an accurate model validation has also been carried out by comparing the obtained results with two-line elements of abandoned geostationary-Earth orbit and mid-Earth orbit satellites.