Important Constants:

Duration of Earths day 24 Hours.

Keplers constant = 3.986 * 105 km3/s2
Earths average radius = 6378 km
Speed of light = 2.998 * 105 km/s

Problem 1:

A satellite orbits Earth in a circular equatorial orbit with altitude of 16,000 km in the same
direction of Earths rotation. At 1:00 pm, this satellite was visible from KFUPM (26.3 N, 50.1 E)
at a distance d = 17,681 km away and an elevation El = 40.83 towards the South-West. Find:

a) sub-satellite point (Latitude and Longitude) of satellite at 1:00 pm

b) sub-satellite point (Latitude and Longitude) of satellite at 3:00 pm

[if you could not solve part (a), assume the sub-satellite point at 1:00 pm
to be (0 N, 35.6 E)].

c) look angles (El and Az) and distance (d) to satellite from KFUPM at 3:00 pm.
[if you could not solve parts (a) or (b), assume the sub-satellite point at
3:00 pm to be (8.4 S, 36.4 E)].

Solution 1:

a) The satellite radius is

rS = 16, 000 + rE = 22,378 km

This requires the use of the equations we have in a reverse form. Substituting the given
quantities at 1:00 pm, namely elevation El , the distance to the satellite d , the radius of the
satellite rS , and the radius of Earth rE in any of the equations below:

2
r r
d = rS cos(g )
1 + E - 2 E
rS rS
sin ( g )
r
El = cos -1 S
d

gives us the central angle g as follows (we will use the second equation with the + sign as
the elevation at 1:00 pm is positive since the satellite is visible):
 r sin ( g )
El = + cos -1 S
d
22,378 sin ( g )
40.83 = + cos -1
17, 681

This gives a central angle

g = 36.72.

Substituting this angle and the coordinates of the Earth station in the formula (Latitude of Sat
is equal to zero since satellite is orbiting in an equatorial plane):

cos ( L E ) cos ( LS ) cos ( l s - l E ) + sin ( L E ) sin ( LS )

g = cos -1

gives

cos ( 26.3) cos ( l s - (-50.1) )

36.72 = cos -1

or

l S = 26.6- 50.1

Since the satellite is to the South West of the Earth Station (as given in the problem), its
longitude is higher (or is more Western than the Earth station because West is positive and
East is negative) than the longitude of the Earth station:

l S = -23.5 23.5 East

Therefore, the satellite is at (0 (on the equator) and 23.5 E).

b) The period of the Satellite can easily be computed as

rS3 (22,378)3
T = 2p = 2p
m 3.986 * 105
= 33,315 s = 9.254 hours

In two hours (from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm), the satellite will move (OVER THE EQUATOR) in
the same direction of Earths rotation an angle equal to

qS 360
=
2 Hour 9.254 Hours

which gives

qS = 77.80.
In the same period, Earth will rotate in the same direction an angle equal to
 qE 360
=
2 Hour 24 Hours

which gives

q E = 30.00.

So, the longitude of the satellite will advance towards the East an angle equal to the
difference between the two. Therefore the new longitude of the satellite will be

l S = -23.5 - (77.80 - 30.00)

= -71.30

which means that the new coordinates of the satellite will be (0 N and 71.30 E).

c) Using the look angle equations:

cos ( L E ) cos ( LS ) cos ( l S - l E ) + sin ( L E ) sin ( LS )

g = cos -1

2
r r
d = rS cos(g )
1 + E - 2 E
r
S S r
r sin ( g )
El = cos -1 S
d
sin l E - l S cos ( LS )
a = sin -1

sin ( g )

we get:

cos ( 26.3) cos ( 0 ) cos ( -71.3 - ( -50.1) ) + sin ( 26.3 ) sin ( 0 )

g = cos -1

= 33.3

2
6,378 6,378
d = 22,378 1 + - 2 cos(33.3)

22,378 22,378
= 17,305 km

sin ( 33.3)
22,378
El = cos -1
17,305
= 45.03
Since rS > rE2 + d 2 , the satellite is visible from the Earth station and the elevation angle is
positive, or

El = +45.03.

Finally,

cos ( 0 )
sin -71.3 - ( -50.1)
a = sin -1

sin ( 33.3)

= 41.20

Since the satellite is to the South-East of the Earth station (as can easily bee seen from their
coordinates), the azimuth angle becomes

Az = 180- a
= 180- 41.2
= 138.8
Problem 2:

A satellite with a circular equatorial orbit is orbiting Earth at an altitude of 25,000 km in the
opposite direction of Earths rotation. A supersonic airplane is flying just above Earths surface on
the equator and in the same direction of Earths rotation at a speed of 500 m/s with respect to
Earths surface. At 12:00 pm, the satellite passed exactly above the airplane. If the satellite was
transmitting a 6 GHz signal towards the airplane, find:

a) the central angle g at Earths center separating the satellites position

from the airplanes position at 1:00 pm.

b) distance (d) between the satellite and the airplane at 1:00 pm.

c) frequency of the signal received by the airplane at 1:00 pm.

Hints: Dont forget the effect of Earths rotation. Also, the sine law shown below for any triangle
with sides of length (A, B, and C) and angles (a, b, and c) may be useful.

sin(a ) sin(b ) sin(c )

= =
A B C

Solution:

a) The satellite has an altitude of 25,000 km rS = 25, 000 + 6378 = 31378 km

The period of the satellite is

rS3 (31,378)3
T = 2p = 2p
m 3.986 * 105
= 55,316 s = 15.37 hours
 So, in 1 hour (from 12:00 pm to 1:00pm), the satellite will rotate an angle of qS that is given
by

qS 360
=
1 Hour 15.37 Hours

qS = 23.42

The supersonic airplane is traveling on the equator at the same direction of Earths rotation,
So, effectively, it is traveling at a speed of (we add the speeds because the airplane and Earth
rotate in the same direction):

v A = 500 m/s + Speed of Earth's rotation at Equator

2p (6,378, 000)
= 500 +
86400
= 963.8 m/s

So, the airplanes period would be

2p (6,378, 000)
TA =
963.8
= 41578 s = 11.55 Hours

So, in 1 hour (from 12:00 pm to 1:00pm), the airplane will rotate an angle of q A that is given
by

qA 360
=
1 Hour 11.55 Hours

q A = 31.17

Since the two angles increase in opposite directions because the satellite and airplane are
moving in opposite directions, The central angle g will be

g = qS + q A
= 23.42+ 31.17
= 54.59

b) Knowing that the radius of the satellite is

rS = 25, 000 + rE = 31378 km

and the radius of the airplane is

rA = rE = 6378 km
 and that the central angle g is

g = 54.59

we get the distance between the satellite and airplane to be

2
r r
d = rS cos(g )
1 + E - 2 E
rS rS
2
6,378 6,378
= 31,378 1 + - 2 cos(54.59)

31,378 31,378
= 28,166 km

c) We need to find the angels that the satellite and airplane motion vectors make with respect to
the line that connects the two. Looking at the figure, we see that
 sin(g ) sin(a )
=
d rE

So,

6, 378*sin(54.59)
a = sin -1
28,166
= 10.6353

and

b = 180 - a - g
= 180 - 54.56 - 10.64
= 114.8

The speed of the satellite is given by

2p (31,378, 000)
vS =
55,316
= 3564.1 m/s

Looking at the above figure, the path of the Airplane makes an angle of b - 90and the
Satellite makes an angle of 90- a . So, the Airplane and Satellite move away from each
other (negative speed) at a speed of

v T -+
v A-
-=( b 90 ) v S cos ( 90 a )
cos
-+ --=cos ( 114.8 90 ) (3564.1) cos ( 90
(963.8)
10.635 )

= -1,533 m/s

and the received frequency becomes

f R = f T + Df
vT f T
= fT +
c
(1533)(6*109 )
= 6*109 -
2.998*108
= 6*109 - 30, 680
= 5,999,969,320 Hz
Problem 3:

A satellite is launched in an elliptic equatorial orbit opposite to earths rotation. The eccentricity of
the orbit is 0.6 and its period is 10 hours. Find:

a) The semi-major axis distance.

b) The semi-minor axis distance.
c) The altitude of the satellite at the apogee point.
d) The speed of the satellite at the perigee point.
e) During a particular orbit of the satellite, its perigee point was over
longitude 35 E, over what longitude will its perigee be in the next orbital
period.
f) If the eccentricity of the orbit of this satellite is modified to be 0.854,
the satellite will crash into Earth surface before it approaches the perigee.
Determine the speed of the satellite when it hits the surface of Earth.

Solution:

a) The semi-major axis is given by

mT 2 3 (3.986*105 )(36, 000) 2

a= 3 =
4p 2 4p 2
= 23,565 km

b) The semi-minor axis is given by

b = a 1-e 2
= 23,565 1 - 0.62
= 18,852 km

c) The apogee altitude can be obtained using:

a (1-e 2 )
ro =
cos ( q )
1+ e

At apogee, q Apogee = 180. So,

a ( 1- e 2 )
rApogee = = a ( 1+ e )
1-e
= 23,565 ( 1 + 0.6 )
= 37, 704 km

The altitude of the satellite at apogee is therefore,

 Alt Apogee = rApogee - rE = 37, 704 - 6,378
= 31,326 km

d) The speed of the satellite at any ro is equal to:

m 2a
vS = - 1
a ro

a ( 1-e 2 )
At perigee, rPerigee = = a ( 1 - e ) = 23,565 ( 1 - 0.6 ) = 9, 426 km , so
1+ e

m 2a
v Perigee = - 1
a ro
3.986*105 2 ( 23,565 )
= - 1
23,565 9, 426
= 8.2255 km/s

e) The orbital period of this satellite is 10 Hours. So, by the time the satellite makes a complete
rotation from the perigee and returns back to the perigee point, Earth would have rotated an
angle equal to:

qE 360
=
10 Hour 24 Hours

which gives

q E = 150

So, by the time the satellite reaches the perigee again, it would be over longitude

l S = -35+ 150= 115

or over longitude 115 W.

f) At the instant the satellite crashes into Earth, its radius will be the radius of Earth. So:
 m 2a 3.986*105 2 ( 23,565 )
v Perigee = - 1= - 1
a ro 23,565 6,378
= 10.396 km/s