Perturbation by air-drag based on a power law

Abstract

In this paper the effect of air-drag on a satellite orbit is considered using an air density function depending on a quadratic scale height law. The first-order perturbations of the equinoctial elements and the orbital period after one revolution are given by explicit formulae. It is then indicated how the nonrotating spherical symmetric density model can be refined by taking into account the rotation of the atmosphere, the atmospheric bulge, the oblateness of the atmosphere and the J 2-perturbation of the orbit.