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Short- and Long-Term Propagation of Spacecraft OrbitsThe Planetary Observer Planning Software (POPS) comprises four computer programs for use in designing orbits of spacecraft about planets. These programs are the Planetary Observer High Precision Orbit Propagator (POHOP), the Planetary Observer Long-Term Orbit Predictor (POLOP), the Planetary Observer Post Processor (POPP), and the Planetary Observer Plotting (POPLOT) program. POHOP and POLOP integrate the equations of motion to propagate an initial set of classical orbit elements to a future epoch. POHOP models shortterm (one revolution) orbital motion; POLOP averages out the short-term behavior but requires far less processing time than do older programs that perform long-term orbit propagations. POPP postprocesses the spacecraft ephemeris created by POHOP or POLOP (or optionally can use a less accurate internal ephemeris) to search for trajectory-related geometric events including, for example, rising or setting of a spacecraft as observed from a ground site. For each such event, POPP puts out such user-specified data as the time, elevation, and azimuth. POPLOT is a graphics program that plots data generated by POPP. POPLOT can plot orbit ground tracks on a world map and can produce a variety of summaries and generic ordinate-vs.-abscissa plots of any POPP data.
Document ID
20080048155
Acquisition Source
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Document Type
Other - NASA Tech Brief
External Source(s)
http://www.techbriefs.com/component/content/article/3195
Authors
Smith, John C., Jr. (California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Sweetser, Theodore (California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Chung, Min-Kun (California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Yen, Chen-Wan L. (California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Roncoli, Ralph B. (California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Kwok, Johnny H. (California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Vincent, Mark A. (Raytheon Co. United States)
Date Acquired
August 24, 2013
Publication Date
September 1, 2008
Publication Information
Publication: NASA Tech Briefs, September 2008
Subject Category
Astrodynamics
Report/Patent Number
NPO-45418
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Public Use Permitted.

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