Inclination angles for LEO satellites

Hi, all.

I'm looking for the most common altitudes and inclination angles for LEO
satellites.

I found the distribution of altitudes easily enough. See

http://satjournal.tcom.ohiou.edu/iss...t_debris2.html

What I need now is a similar result for inclination angles.

If you can help, I would be most appreciative.

--
Dave Michelson

On Mon, 11 Jun 2007 19:00:00 GMT, in a place far, far away, Dave
Michelson made the phosphor on my monitor glow in
such a way as to indicate that:


Hi, all.

I'm looking for the most common altitudes and inclination angles for LEO
satellites.

I found the distribution of altitudes easily enough. See

http://satjournal.tcom.ohiou.edu/iss...t_debris2.html

What I need now is a similar result for inclination angles.

If you can help, I would be most appreciative.

I don't have any data, but my guess is that sun-synch would dominate
(i.e., about 98 degrees, though exact inclination is of course a
function of altitude).

Rand Simberg wrote:

Hi, all.

I'm looking for the most common altitudes and inclination angles for LEO
satellites.

I found the distribution of altitudes easily enough. See

http://satjournal.tcom.ohiou.edu/iss...t_debris2.html

What I need now is a similar result for inclination angles.

If you can help, I would be most appreciative.

I don't have any data, but my guess is that sun-synch would dominate
(i.e., about 98 degrees, though exact inclination is of course a
function of altitude).

I suspect you're right. Interestingly enough, the 600-800 km peak in the
altitude PDF corresponds to the "optimum" altitude for a satellite in a
98-degree sun synchronous orbit. Other peaks would correspond to the
large LEO comsat constellations such as Orbcomm, Iridium, and Globalstar.

If one had access to the NORAD TLE data base, I suppose that one could
easily run the numbers but I gather that it's been locked down. Or has
it?

--
Dave Michelson

On Mon, 11 Jun 2007 19:58:53 GMT, in a place far, far away, Dave
Michelson made the phosphor on my monitor glow in
such a way as to indicate that:

Rand Simberg wrote:

Hi, all.

I'm looking for the most common altitudes and inclination angles for LEO
satellites.

I found the distribution of altitudes easily enough. See

http://satjournal.tcom.ohiou.edu/iss...t_debris2.html

What I need now is a similar result for inclination angles.

If you can help, I would be most appreciative.

I don't have any data, but my guess is that sun-synch would dominate
(i.e., about 98 degrees, though exact inclination is of course a
function of altitude).

I suspect you're right. Interestingly enough, the 600-800 km peak in the
altitude PDF corresponds to the "optimum" altitude for a satellite in a
98-degree sun synchronous orbit. Other peaks would correspond to the
large LEO comsat constellations such as Orbcomm, Iridium, and Globalstar.

That's probably LEO, to first order.

If one had access to the NORAD TLE data base, I suppose that one could
easily run the numbers but I gather that it's been locked down. Or has
it?

Are you looking for satellites currently in orbit, or historically?
Jonathan's Space Report might have a text file of all (unclassified)
launches that you could Perl out some results from.

Rand Simberg wrote:
Are you looking for satellites currently in orbit, or historically?
Jonathan's Space Report might have a text file of all (unclassified)
launches that you could Perl out some results from.


Dr. Kelso's site probably has still has a fairly complete list of
TLE's. I used that site most when I was keeping up with stsplus, but I
still visit from time to time.

/dps

On 2007-06-11, Dave Michelson wrote:

If one had access to the NORAD TLE data base, I suppose that one could
easily run the numbers but I gather that it's been locked down. Or has
it?

I just got TLE data (catalog_2l_2007_06_12_am.txt.gz) from space-track.org
Grep | cut | sort gave me the answer. I don't think I can tell you what
I found under their TOS though, "without the prior express approval of
the Secretary of Defense or his delegatee."

P.


--
Peter Evans
Berlin, Germany

On Jun 12, 3:18 am, David Schneider wrote:
Dr. Kelso's site probably has still has a fairly complete list of
TLE's. I used that site most when I was keeping up with stsplus, but I
still visit from time to time.

That would be http://celestrak.com/NORAD/elements/, wouldn't it?

/dps

In article ,
Peter Evans wrote:

On 2007-06-11, Dave Michelson wrote:

If one had access to the NORAD TLE data base, I suppose that one could
easily run the numbers but I gather that it's been locked down. Or has
it?

I just got TLE data (catalog_2l_2007_06_12_am.txt.gz) from space-track.org
Grep | cut | sort gave me the answer. I don't think I can tell you what
I found under their TOS though, "without the prior express approval of
the Secretary of Defense or his delegatee."

Well, have you asked him?

--
David M. Palmer (formerly @clark.net, @ematic.com)

inclination angles.


Unless a satellite needed a specific inclination for its application,
the inclination would likely be that of the launch site. Cape Canaveral
is around 27 degrees, and Russia's launch site is something like 51
degrees. Odds are you'll find a clumping at these two values.

snidely wrote:
On Jun 12, 3:18 am, David Schneider wrote:
Dr. Kelso's site probably has still has a fairly complete list of
TLE's. I used that site most when I was keeping up with stsplus, but I
still visit from time to time.

That would be http://celestrak.com/NORAD/elements/, wouldn't it?

Indeed it is. Thanks :-)

--
Dave Michelson