Essays on Orbits

Part 2. Recent and historical images of Mars

Historical Image of Mars. Website reference: http://www.fourthplanet.space/tag/christiaan-huygens/

Image info: Christiaan Huygens’ observational drawing of Mars shows a triangular feature which known today as Syrtis Major.

Telescope used: Huygens used a telescope created by himself (1655). It was a good 2-inch (5.1-cm) telescope of 10.5-foot (3.2-m) focal length and 50x magnification. (Sheehan)

Observer: Christiaan Huygens

Exposure time: Observations were taken over a number of weeks. Other relevant details: Huygens used results of his observations of Mars to measure Mars’ rotational period. He measured it as 24 hours (only one hour away from the rotational period of the planet recognized today). It should be noted that the most prominent and largest crater of the Mars was named after Huygens (14.0°S, 304.4° ...

Low-Earth Orbits may be defined as ones within a locus extending from the Earth’s surface up to an altitude of 1,200 miles. It is this orbit in which the atmosphere drag is minimal, if not totally absent. The Low-Earth Orbit finds varied use in space technology. This orbit is used to visit the International Space Station or the Space Shuttle to perform experiments, installations and repair of astronomical equipments (Iowa State University, 2016). Satellites are a vital part of this orbit. They are required for varied purposes such as communication, weather, GPS, space travel etc. A satellite ...

Space rendezvous is a precise orbital maneuver, which requires two spacecrafts to arrive at the same orbit, and move at the same speed. Since the orbital velocity is usually not less than 7 km/s, a 1-second error will case a distance of 7 kilometers between the spacecrafts. Such an error is unacceptable, as rendezvous is a prerequisite of docking, which requires spacecrafts to rendezvous as close as some dozen meters. Initially, astronauts were not aware of principles of the space mechanics. Engineer André Meyer says that “to catch something on the ground, one simply moves as quickly as possible ...

Methodology: Results-based Management Framework

BACKGROUND International Telecommunication union (ITU) is a specialized agency of the United Nations for information and communication technologies or ICTs. ITU is responsible for allocation of global radio spectrum and the satellite orbits, development of the technical standards to ensure seamless interconnectivity of the networks and technologies. The origin of ITU dates back to the mid nineteenth century and since then it has been at the centre of the advances in communication. Right from telegraphy in earlier times to satellites, mobile phones and internet in the modern world. It was on May 17, 1865 that the first incarnation of ...

Coordinates reference frames for Orbital motion

The relative position of moving objects in space is determined by usage of coordinate reference frames that compare the position of the object with respect to earth. This concept helps in defining the equations of motion for orbital movement of celestial objects in space. The extension of the same concept is used to determine the relative position of a spacecraft during the course of its ascension into the space using the earth centered system. The position of a spacecraft in its ascending node can be determined by using an equatorial vector that ascertains its relative position with respect to ...