Analyzing long observation arcs for objects with high area-to-mass ratios in geostationary orbits
- Paper number
IAC-08.A6.1.10
- Author
Dr. Reto Musci, Astronomical Institute University of Bern (AIUB), Switzerland
- Coauthor
Dr. Thomas Schildknecht, Astronomical Institute University of Bern (AIUB), Switzerland
- Coauthor
Dr. Martin Ploner, Astronomical Institute University of Bern (AIUB), Switzerland
- Year
2008
- Abstract
A new population of objects with high area-to-mass rations (AMR) in the geostationary orbit (GEO) has been identified recently. The first observations of this new type of objects were acquired in the framework of the European Space Agency’s (ESA) search for space debris in the GEO and the geostationary transfer orbit using ESA’s 1-meter telescope on Tenerife. Since 2005 some of the newly detected objects with high AMR have been maintained in a catalogue. The observations needed to maintain the orbital elements of these objects have been acquired with the 1-meter telescope of the Astronomical Institute of the University of Bern (AIUB) in Zimmerwald and several instruments located in the region of the former Soviet Union. The data from the latter telescopes is provided to AIUB by the Keldysh Institute of Applied Mathematics (KIAM) in the framework of a collaboration. Observation arcs of up to more than three years are currently available for some objects with high AMR. These long observation arcs are used to study the quality of the orbit determination and in particular of the AMR estimation. The results are presented in this paper. Furthermore, the challenges to maintain these orbits, e.g., to recover the objects after several days or weeks, are discussed.
- Abstract document
- Manuscript document
IAC-08.A6.1.10.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).
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