Orbital Mechanics with MATLAB


Welcome

This web site describes a comprehensive collection of MATLAB scripts and functions called Orbital Mechanics with MATLAB.  This software can be used to solve a variety of practical problems in orbital mechanics and applied astrodynamics.  MATLAB Scripts and functions are provided for solving spaceflight problems in the areas of orbit design, event prediction and trajectory optimization.  All scripts and support functions require MATLAB version 7.2 (R2006a) or higher.

 

The complete collection of MATLAB scripts and functions can be purchased for $179.  The software can be ordered using the secure and flexible e-commerce services provided by PayPal (www.paypal.com).  PayPal accepts online payments by credit card and a PayPal account is not required to make a purchase.  Before placing an order, please read the license agreement.

 

After placing your order, you will receive an email within 24 hours with a password that will permit you to extract the MATLAB source code and any support data files.

 

Click here to order the complete software suite ($179).

 

The password protected zipped file for Orbital Mechanics with MATLAB can be downloaded here.

 

Last updated  January 15, 2013

Thanks for visiting.


The following is a list of the analysis scripts and functions included in the complete software suite.  Click on the title to view or download the PDF documentation.  Many of these MATLAB scripts and support functions are available in the file exchange area of the Mathworks website, www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/fileexchange/authors/30927.

 

Astrodynamic Coordinates

·        Greenwich mean and apparent sidereal time

·        Geodetic and geocentric coordinates

·        Inertial position and velocity vectors

·        Classical orbital elements

·        Modified equinoctial orbital elements

·        Hyperbolic and B-plane coordinates

·        Flight path coordinates

·        Topocentric coordinates

·        Moon-centered coordinate transformations

·        Mars-centered coordinate transformations

·        EME to/from true-of-date transformation

 

Orbital Periods of a Satellite

·        Keplerian – the unperturbed or two-body period

·        Nodal – the time interval from one ascending (or descending) node to the next

·        Anomalistic – the time interval from one perigee to the next

·        Sidereal – the time interval from one value of argument of latitude to the next identical value

 

Cowell's Method

·        Perturbed orbital motion of Earth satellites

·        Perturbed orbital motion of Earth satellites using MICE routines

·        Heliocentric orbit propagation

·        Drag perturbed orbital motion

·        Modified equinoctial equations of motion

 

Encke's Method

·        Geocentric orbits

·        Heliocentric orbits

 

Rise and Set of Earth Satellites

·        Kozai orbit propagation

·        SGP4 orbit propagation

·        Numerically integrated orbital motion

·        Graphics display of visibility conditions

 

Shadow Conditions of Earth Satellites

·        Shadow conditions of Earth satellites in circular orbits

·        Shadow conditions using Kozai orbit propagation

·        Shadow conditions using numerically integrated orbital motion

·        Lunar eclipse of Earth satellites

 

Methods of Orbit Design

·        Repeating ground track orbits

·        Time to repeat ground track – Kozai orbit propagation

·        Time to repeat ground track – numerical integration

·        Repeating ground track – required mean semimajor axis – Wagner’s algorithm

·        Repeating ground track – Required osculating semimajor axis – numerical integration

·        Sun-synchronous orbit – required mean orbital inclination – Kozai j2 solution

·        Sun-synchronous orbit – required mean orbital inclination – Kozai j2+j4 solution

·        Sun-synchronous orbit – required osculating orbital inclination – numerical integration

·        Frozen orbit – required mean orbital eccentricity

·        Long-term evolution of frozen orbits

·        Sun-synchronous, repeating ground track orbit

·        Sun-synchronous, repeating ground track orbit, frozen orbit design

·        Equilibrium longitudes and radii of geosynchronous satellites

·        Geosynchronous orbit – required osculating semimajor axis

·        Repositioning a geosynchronous satellite

·        East-west station keeping of geosynchronous satellites

·        North-south station keeping of geosynchronous orbits

 

Predicting Mutual Visibility and Close Approach Conditions

·        Mutual visibility between two satellites

·        Closest approach between two satellites

·        Closest approach between a satellite and ground site

·        Closest approach between a satellite’s sub point and a ground site

 

Orbital Maneuvers

·        Circular orbit plane change

·        Single impulse transfer between intersecting orbits

·        Finite burn orbit transfer

·        Low thrust orbit transfer

·        Low thrust orbit transfer using solar-electric propulsion

·        Single impulse de-orbit from a circular orbit

·        Single impulse de-orbit from an elliptical orbit

·        Optimal single impulse de-orbit from Earth orbits (SNOPT)

·        Aero-assisted co-planar orbital transfer

·        Hohmann two impulse orbital transfer

·        Bi-elliptic transfer between coplanar circular orbits

·        Low-thrust spiral trajectories with constant periapsis radius

·        Primer vector analysis

·        Phasing analysis

 

Lambert's Problem

·        Earth orbit solution

·        Interplanetary solution

·        Earth orbit solution – perturbed orbital motion – shooting method

·        Earth orbit solution – perturbed orbital motion – NLP method

 

Coverage Characteristics of Earth Satellites

·        Geometry of satellite coverage

·        Coverage characteristics of satellite constellations

·        Long-term prediction of view periods

 

Relative Motion Between Two Earth Satellites

·        Relative motion of two Earth satellites in circular orbits

·        Two impulse rendezvous orbit

 

Circular-Restricted Three-Body Problem

·        Coordinates and energy of the libration points

·        Graphics display of three-body motion

·        Graphics display of zero velocity curves

·        Graphics display of user-defined zero relative velocity

 

Graphics Display of Satellite Ground Tracks, Orbits and Maps

·        ground track – rectangular display

·        orbit and/or ground track – orthographic display

·        site-to-satellite visibility – azimuth/elevation polar plot

·        site-to-satellite visibility – rectangular display

·        site-to-satellite visibility – orthographic display

 

Numerical Methods and Utility Functions

·        Trigonometry and matrix routines

·        Solution of first and second-order systems of differential equations

·        Quadrature (numerical integration)

·        One-dimensional root-finding and minimization

·        Linear and cubic spline Interpolation functions

·        Date and time routines

·        Interactive data request routines

 

Programmer's Toolbox

·        Kepler’s equation

·        Two-body orbital motion (initial value problem)

·        Analytic orbit propagation functions

·        Two-body state transition matrix

·        Differential equations of orbital motion

·        Lambert’s problem (two-point boundary value problem)

·        Mean and osculating orbital elements

·        Predicting trajectory events

·        Earth atmosphere models

·        Atmosphere and gravity model data files

 

Ephemeris Functions

·        Low precision solar, lunar and planetary ephemeris

·        Precision sun ephemeris

·        Osculating orbital elements of the moon

·        Mean planetary ephemerides

·        J2000 planetary ephemerides

·        IMCCE lunar and planetary ephemeris

·        JPL lunar and planetary ephemeris

·        INPOP06C binary ephemeris

·        Ephemeris of a heliocentric celestial body

·        Apparent coordinates of the moon, planet and star

 

Numerical Prediction of Orbital Events

·        geodetic altitude

·        geodetic latitude

·        east longitude

·        geocentric declination

·        true anomaly

·        argument of latitude

·        flight path angle

·        orbital speed

·        right ascension

 

Aerospace Trajectory Optimization Using Direct Transciption (SNOPT)

This brief report describes a technical approach and MATLAB script that demonstrate the use of direct transcription and collocation to solve aerospace optimal control problems.  The computer program solves the problem described on pages 66-69 of the classic text, Applied Optimal Control, by Arthur E. Bryson, Jr. and Yu-Chi Ho.

 

PLEASE NOTE:  The MATLAB scripts flagged with SNOPT were written for use with the SNOPT nonlinear programming (NLP) algorithm.  MATLAB versions of SNOPT for several computer platforms can be found at Professor Philip Gill’s web site which is located at http://scicomp.ucsd.edu/~peg/.  A PDF version of the SNOPT user’s manual is also available at that website.  These scripts have been tested with Windows XP Professional (32 bit), Windows 7 Home Premium (32 bit), versions R2010a and R2010b of MATLAB, and the 12/30/2010 version of SNOPT.

 

DOWNLOADS

 

(The following scripts and support functions are available in the file exchange area of the Mathworks website, www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/fileexchange/authors/30927.)

 

Example Scripts and Functions

 

A MATLAB Script for Designing Low-thrust Spiral Trajectories with Constant Periapsis Radius

Bi-elliptic Transfer Between Coplanar Circular Orbits

Optimal Single Impulse De-orbit from Earth Orbits

Demo Script for Hyperbolic Coordinates

Demo Script for Calculating Sidereal Time with NOVAS 3.0

 

Binary Ephemeris Data Files

 

Please note that these binary ephemeris files are compatible with Windows computers.

 

SLP96 ephemeris binary data file (~6 MB)

JPL DE405 ephemeris binary data file (~6 MB)

JPL DE421 ephemeris binary data file (~14 MB)

INPOP06c ephemeris binary data file (~17 MB)

INPOP08a ephemeris binary data file (~17 MB)

 

NOVAS MATLAB Routines, version 3.0

 

(These functions are available in the file exchange area of the Mathworks website, www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/fileexchange/authors/30927.)

 

MICE Examples

 

These scripts illustrate several applications of the JPL MICE library.  MICE is a MATLAB implementation of many of the JPL SPICE routines.  Additional information about MICE and SPICE along with downloadable software and documentation can be found at http://naif.jpl.nasa.gov/naif/.

 

(The following scripts and support functions are available in the file exchange area of the Mathworks website, www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/fileexchange/authors/30927.)

 

This script is a MICE version of Cowell’s method for geocentric spacecraft.

 

PDF Document

Output text file (example.txt)

 

This script computes the state vector of the Moon at the DE405 integration epoch .

 

Output text file (de405_integration_epoch.txt)

 

This script performs the EME to/from true-of-date transformation .

 

PDF Document

Output text file (eme_tod_mice.txt)

 


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cdeaglejr@yahoo.com          www.cdeagle.com