Asymetric doppler curves?
Hi all.
I'm doing a small demonstration for a physics class using Doppler measurements on the HO-68 beacon.
Hopefully we'll be able to calculate spacecraft velocity and from that result, go on to calculate orbit altitude. However, in thinking about this I realised that there is a potential source of error. We are not stationary !! - OK, it's obvious really, but I've never seen this mentioned in topics like Doppler correction programs and I've not seen it visually in displayed Doppler curves.
The issue is that while a spacecraft with zero eccentricity will have a constant velocity, the speed relative to an observer on Earth at AOS and LOS will be different for each half of the pass depending on the observers latitude and the inclination of the satellite.
The worse case would be something travelling East to West or West to East as the velocity of the satellite would have the Earths rotational speed added / subtracted at either end of the pass.
Has anyone seen this effect? Perhaps on the ISS? I think it could be as much as 7% which may be measurable. - But not on HO-68 which is polar orbiting....
Just want to make the most of my 45 minutes.
Thanks
David G0MRF
Hi David, G0MRF
If you read the old issues of OSCAR-News from AMSAT-UK you will realize that a serious traking program like PLAN-10 written by James Miller G3RUH take into calculation all perturbations due to inclination and velocity of the satellite due to Earths rotational speed added / subtracted at either end of the pass and so doppler.
73" de
i8CVS Domenico
----- Original Message ----- From: g0mrf@aol.com To: amsat-bb@amsat.org Sent: Sunday, June 10, 2012 1:20 AM Subject: [amsat-bb] Asymetric doppler curves?
Hi all.
I'm doing a small demonstration for a physics class using Doppler measurements on the HO-68 beacon.
Hopefully we'll be able to calculate spacecraft velocity and from that result, go on to calculate orbit altitude. However, in thinking about this I realised that there is a potential source of error. We are not stationary !! - OK, it's obvious really, but I've never seen this mentioned in topics like Doppler correction programs and I've not seen it visually in displayed Doppler curves.
The issue is that while a spacecraft with zero eccentricity will have a constant velocity, the speed relative to an observer on Earth at AOS and LOS will be different for each half of the pass depending on the observers latitude and the inclination of the satellite.
The worse case would be something travelling East to West or West to East as the velocity of the satellite would have the Earths rotational speed added / subtracted at either end of the pass.
Has anyone seen this effect? Perhaps on the ISS? I think it could be as much as 7% which may be measurable. - But not on HO-68 which is polar orbiting....
Just want to make the most of my 45 minutes.
Thanks
David G0MRF
Sent via AMSAT-BB@amsat.org. Opinions expressed are those of the author. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
Hi,
As do 'Predict' and it's derivatives.
My Java open source implementation does u/l and d/l and is used in GENSO for realtime tracking, amongst others.
- Dave
On 10/06/12 03:23, i8cvs wrote:
Hi David, G0MRF
If you read the old issues of OSCAR-News from AMSAT-UK you will realize that a serious traking program like PLAN-10 written by James Miller G3RUH take into calculation all perturbations due to inclination and velocity of the satellite due to Earths rotational speed added / subtracted at either end of the pass and so doppler.
73" de
i8CVS Domenico
----- Original Message ----- From:g0mrf@aol.com To:amsat-bb@amsat.org Sent: Sunday, June 10, 2012 1:20 AM Subject: [amsat-bb] Asymetric doppler curves?
Hi all.
I'm doing a small demonstration for a physics class using Doppler measurements on the HO-68 beacon.
Hopefully we'll be able to calculate spacecraft velocity and from that result, go on to calculate orbit altitude. However, in thinking about this I realised that there is a potential source of error. We are not stationary !! - OK, it's obvious really, but I've never seen this mentioned in topics like Doppler correction programs and I've not seen it visually in displayed Doppler curves.
The issue is that while a spacecraft with zero eccentricity will have a constant velocity, the speed relative to an observer on Earth at AOS and LOS will be different for each half of the pass depending on the observers latitude and the inclination of the satellite.
The worse case would be something travelling East to West or West to East as the velocity of the satellite would have the Earths rotational speed added / subtracted at either end of the pass.
Has anyone seen this effect? Perhaps on the ISS? I think it could be as much as 7% which may be measurable. - But not on HO-68 which is polar orbiting....
Just want to make the most of my 45 minutes.
Thanks
David G0MRF
Sent via AMSAT-BB@amsat.org. Opinions expressed are those of the author. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
Sent via AMSAT-BB@amsat.org. Opinions expressed are those of the author. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
HI David,
Maybe you can find here an interesting answer to your question.
http://www.amsat.org/amsat/articles/g3ruh/111.html
Atte.(73,s) ___________________ Miguel Menéndez EA1BCU IN73an. Spain ___________________
________________________________ De: "g0mrf@aol.com" g0mrf@aol.com Para: amsat-bb@amsat.org Enviado: Domingo 10 de junio de 2012 1:20 Asunto: [amsat-bb] Asymetric doppler curves?
Hi all.
I'm doing a small demonstration for a physics class using Doppler measurements on the HO-68 beacon.
Hopefully we'll be able to calculate spacecraft velocity and from that result, go on to calculate orbit altitude. However, in thinking about this I realised that there is a potential source of error. We are not stationary !! - OK, it's obvious really, but I've never seen this mentioned in topics like Doppler correction programs and I've not seen it visually in displayed Doppler curves.
The issue is that while a spacecraft with zero eccentricity will have a constant velocity, the speed relative to an observer on Earth at AOS and LOS will be different for each half of the pass depending on the observers latitude and the inclination of the satellite.
The worse case would be something travelling East to West or West to East as the velocity of the satellite would have the Earths rotational speed added / subtracted at either end of the pass.
Has anyone seen this effect? Perhaps on the ISS? I think it could be as much as 7% which may be measurable. - But not on HO-68 which is polar orbiting....
Just want to make the most of my 45 minutes.
Thanks
David G0MRF
_______________________________________________ Sent via AMSAT-BB@amsat.org. Opinions expressed are those of the author. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
participants (4)
-
David Johnson
-
g0mrf@aol.com
-
i8cvs
-
Miguel EA1BCU