Drag Stationkeeping Impulse
Estimate drag make-up impulse from a constant environment and supplied orbit duty factor; density variation and maneuver losses are not modeled.
Description
Constant-environment drag can be integrated into an approximate stationkeeping velocity budget.
Constant-environment drag can be integrated into an approximate stationkeeping velocity budget. A duty fraction states how much of the interval experiences the modeled drag rather than assuming it applies continuously.1
Estimate drag make-up impulse from a constant environment and supplied orbit duty factor; density variation and maneuver losses are not modeled.
When to use Drag Stationkeeping Impulse
Use this tool to estimate drag make-up impulse from a constant environment and supplied orbit duty factor; density variation and maneuver losses are not modeled.
Prepare the orbital state or model parameters in one reference frame. Confirm compatible distance/time units and the stated angular and gravitational-parameter conventions.
How to use Drag Stationkeeping Impulse and understand its results
- Prepare the orbital state or model parameters in one reference frame. Confirm compatible distance/time units and the stated angular and gravitational-parameter conventions.
- Enter atmosphereKgPerM3, dragCoefficient, areaSquareMeters, spacecraftKg, relativeMetersPerSecond, orbitDutyFraction, intervalDays using the field table and calculation rules, then run the tool.
- Read meanDragMetersPerSecondSquared, makeupDeltaVMetersPerSecond. The explanation below defines the units, signs, ordering and any flags or placeholder values.
- If the tool reports an input issue, correct the values and run it again. Apply the stated assumptions when interpreting a successfully returned result.
| Input field | Meaning | Value type; see rules below | Requirement |
|---|---|---|---|
| atmosphereKgPerM3 | Atmosphere kg per m 3 | number | Required |
| dragCoefficient | Drag coefficient | number | Required |
| areaSquareMeters | Area square meters | number | Required |
| spacecraftKg | Spacecraft kg | number | Required |
| relativeMetersPerSecond | Relative meters per second | number | Required |
| orbitDutyFraction | Orbit duty fraction | number | Required |
| intervalDays | Interval days | number | Required |
Enter nonnegative density, relative speed and interval days, positive drag coefficient/area/mass, and duty fraction in [0,1]. Use SI units. Return mean acceleration in m/s² and integrated make-up deltaV in m/s; zero density, speed, duty or duration can give zero impulse.
meanDrag = 0.5ρ Cd A vRelative² duty/mass; makeupDeltaV = meanDrag × days × 86,400 Units, indexing, boundary conditions and exceptional cases are defined in the calculation rules above.
| Output field | Meaning | Value type |
|---|---|---|
| meanDragMetersPerSecondSquared | Mean drag meters per second squared | number |
| makeupDeltaVMetersPerSecond | Makeup delta v meters per second | number |
{
"input": {
"atmosphereKgPerM3": 0.00001,
"dragCoefficient": 2,
"areaSquareMeters": 1,
"spacecraftKg": 10,
"relativeMetersPerSecond": 100,
"orbitDutyFraction": 0.1,
"intervalDays": 7
},
"output": {
"meanDragMetersPerSecondSquared": 0.0010000000000000002,
"makeupDeltaVMetersPerSecond": 604.8000000000002
}
}Limitations and assumptions
Density and drag properties are constant supplied values. Maneuver losses, changing atmosphere, attitude and orbital evolution are not modeled; the result is not a propellant estimate.
Numeric inputs must be finite. Follow the calculation-specific rules for overflow, underflow and exceptional cases. Missing required fields, extra fields, wrong value types and violations of the calculation rules are input errors.
Alternative or Complementary methods
Use Entry Ballistic Coefficient: Compute the mass-to-drag-area ballistic coefficient from supplied aerodynamic reference quantities. For a complementary task, use Aerobraking Geometric Pass Count: Estimate passes under a supplied constant fractional period reduction; atmospheric and trajectory evolution are not inferred.
References
-
Drag Stationkeeping Impulse — tool.io
Similar or alternative tools
- Entry Ballistic Coefficient
Compute the mass-to-drag-area ballistic coefficient from supplied aerodynamic reference quantities.
- Aerobraking Geometric Pass Count
Estimate passes under a supplied constant fractional period reduction; atmospheric and trajectory evolution are not inferred.