Department ECE

MODERN SATELLITE
COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS
21EC4055
Topic:
ORBITAL MECHANICS

Session - 4
 AIM OF THE SESSION

The aim of this session is to make students understand Orbital mechanics of satellites

INSTRUCTIONAL OBJECTIVES

This Session is designed to:

1. Explain scientific principle of satellite, moving in orbit without drifting
2. Describe Keplers law of satellite

LEARNING OUTCOMES

At the end of this session, you should be able to:

1. Explain why satellites remains in same orbit
2. Tell Keplers law of planetary motion
KINEMATICS & NEWTON’S LAW

s = Distance traveled in time, t

u = Initial Velocity at t = 0
v = Final Velocity at time = t
a = Acceleration
• s = ut + (1/2)at2
F = Force acting on the object
• v2 = u2 + 2as
Newton’s Second
Law • v = u + at
• F = ma
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Why do satellites keep moving and stay in an
orbit?

v (velocity)

FOUT
(Inertial-Centrifugal Force)
FIN
(Gravitational
Force)

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 FORCE ON A SATELLITE

• Force = Mass  Acceleration

• Unit of Force is a Newton

• A Newton is the force required to accelerate 1 kg by 1 m/s2

• Underlying units of a Newton are therefore (kg)  (m/s2)

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 ACCELERATION FORMULA

aIN= acceleration due to gravity =  / r2 km/s2

• r = radius from center of earth

•  = universal gravitational constant G multiplied by the mass of the earth ME

•  is Kepler’s constant= 3.9861352  105 km3/s2

• G = 6.672  10-11 Nm2/kg2 or 6.672  10-20 km3/kg s2 in the older units

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FORCE ON A SATELLITE

Inward (i.e., centripetal force)

Since Force = Mass  Acceleration
If the force inwards due to gravity = FIN
Then
FIN = m  aIN
= m  ( / r 2 )
= m  (GME / r2)

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FORCE ON A SATELLITE …

Outward (i.e., centrifugal force)

Since Force = Mass  Acceleration

If the force outwards due to KE of satellite = FOUT then
FOUT = m  aOUT
= m  (v2 / r)

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FOR A STABLE ORBIT: FIN = FOUT

m  (v2 / r) = m  (GME / r2)

Þ orbital velocity,

As orbital period, T= 2π / ω & v = r ω,

Note: As the distance ‘r’ increases, the satellite moves with lower velocity and shall have higher

orbital period.

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ORBITAL VELOCITIES AND PERIODS

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KEPLERS FIRST SECOND AND THIRD LAW

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