Atmosphere density changes caused by the motion of spacecrafts in low Earth orbits

1Maslova, AI, 1Pirozhenko, AV
1Institute of Technical Mechanics of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine and the State Space Agency of Ukraine, Dnipro, Ukraine
Kosm. nauka tehnol. 2009, 15 ;(1):13-18
https://doi.org/10.15407/knit2009.01.013
Publication Language: Russian
Abstract: 
The atmosphere density changes caused by the motion of spacecrafts in almost circular Earth orbits are considered for a range of altitudes from 550 to 750 km. Only short-period changes with frequencies close to the frequency of the orbital motion are studied. It is assumed that such density changes are produced by the following factors: the diurnal effect of the atmosphere swelling on the illuminated side of the Earth; the change of altitude of an orbit due to noncentrality the gravitational field of the Earth; the change of altitude of an orbit due to its ellipticity.
Keywords: atmosphere swelling, density, orbit altitude
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