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Virginia Tech

Second-Order Relative Motion Equations

Abstract

dc:description.abstract

This thesis presents an approximate solution of second order relative motion equations. The equations of motion for a Keplerian orbit in spherical coordinates are expanded in Taylor series form using reference conditions consistent with that of a circular orbit. Only terms that are linear or quadratic in state variables are kept in the expansion. A perturbation method is employed to obtain an approximate solution of the resulting nonlinear differential equations. This new solution is compared with the previously known solution of the linear case to show improvement, and with numerical integration of the quadratic differential equation to understand the error incurred by the approximation. In all cases, the comparison is made by computing the difference of the approximate state (analytical or numerical) from numerical integration of the full nonlinear Keplerian equations of motion.

Degree

thesis:*
Name thesis:degree_name
Master of Science
Level thesis:degree_level
masters
Discipline thesis:degree_discipline
Aerospace and Ocean Engineering
Department dc:contributor.department
Aerospace and Ocean Engineering
Grantor dc:publisher
Virginia Tech
Year dc:date.issued
2001

Author and committee

dc:creator, dc:contributor.*
Author dc:creator
  • Karlgaard, Christopher David
Chair dc:contributor.committeechair
  • Lutze, Frederick H. Jr.
Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember
  • Hall, Christopher D.
  • Cliff, Eugene M.

Subjects

dc:subject × 2

Rights

dc:rights
Statement dc:rights
  • In Copyright

Identifiers

dc:identifier.*
Dc Identifier Other
etd-07162001-113728
OAI identifier oai:identifier
oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/34025

Chain of custody

source
Harvested from
Virginia Tech
Base URL
vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/oai/request
Last updated
2026-07-22
Source record
OAI-PMH GetRecord
citation

Karlgaard, Christopher David. Second-Order Relative Motion Equations. masters thesis, Virginia Tech, 2001. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/34025