- Email: [email protected]
An autonomous optical method of determining the orientation of an Earth satellite in space
ABSTRACTS
577
VII concerning Earth’s radiation balance for analysis of the synoptic situation and cloud and determination of the scats of heat and cold. It is argued that to change over from direct measurements to radiation flows F, which can be interpreted meteorologically it is necessary to know the orientation of the axis of the satellite relative to Earth, the angular dependences of the absorption capacity of the covering, the heat exchange between the receiver and the body of the satellite and the angular distribution of the measured radiation. It is accepted that reliable information can be obtained about radiation fields by “low-inertia” (“instantaneous”) receivers with a plane receiving surface on orientated satellites (or non-orientated satellites if the orientation relative to Earth is known with sufficient accuracy). Unless the nature of the field of the outgoing radiation is known, flux magnitudes at the altitude of the satellite cannot be used for the flux at other levels without measuring the angular distribution of the reflected and radiated radiation. Here the non-uniformity of the base surface and atmosphere in the field of vision of the receiver is important (as well non-uniformity of temperature). * K. YA. KONDRAT~EV and M. R. FEDOROVA: Fluxes of outgoing long wave radiation on to Merently orientated surfaces (pp. 133-136). The authors compute the flows of outgoing thermal radiation on to plane surfaces at angles a from 0 to 90” at an altitude of 300 km in summer without cloud, with partial cloud and with continuous cloud. Except for partial cloud, the relative flows decrease more quickly with increasing a. After a = 20”, the decrease is practically linear. * S. G. KOLOSOV: Correlation of Earth’s and the Troposphere’s upward radiation tield with the temperature field (pp. 137-144). For such problems as forecasting changes in the pressure field in the upper atmosphere, it is necessary to take into account the radiation “adflow” of heat which is one of the main factors determining the processes of conversion of the thermobar field. This adflow of heat is due to the absorption in the upper atmosphere of the solar radiation from above, the long wave (thermal) radiation of the Earth and troposphere from below and the natural radiation. To determine the adflow of heat to the upper atmosphere it is therefore necessary to know the magnitude of the upward flow of long wave radiation at the lower boundary of the stratosphere. For want of any other method, the author relates the field of the upward radiation of the Earth and troposphere to the temperature field for the mean energy level of the atmosphere. The approximate upward flows for various dates and times between May and September 1961 and various geographical positions in the U.S.S.R. in December 1961 are tabulated. * G. N. KRYLOV et al. : An autonomous optical method of determining the orientation of an Earth satellite in space (pp. 145-153). To determine the direction to the Sun, solar radiation pickups whose indications are proportional to the cosine of the anele between the direction to the Sun and the axis of the uickuv, are mounted on the satellite at the vertices of ccube, or some other regular geometric figure. The co~ver&n matrix is found for changing from the satellite’s co-ordinates to the Earth’s co-ordinates. Each matrix element contains an unknown angle of rotation about the satellite-Sun axis, but these are found by scanning pickups. By further analysis it is possible to predict the orientation in space of the satellite.
577
VII concerning Earth’s radiation balance for analysis of the synoptic situation and cloud and determination of the scats of heat and cold. It is argued that to change over from direct measurements to radiation flows F, which can be interpreted meteorologically it is necessary to know the orientation of the axis of the satellite relative to Earth, the angular dependences of the absorption capacity of the covering, the heat exchange between the receiver and the body of the satellite and the angular distribution of the measured radiation. It is accepted that reliable information can be obtained about radiation fields by “low-inertia” (“instantaneous”) receivers with a plane receiving surface on orientated satellites (or non-orientated satellites if the orientation relative to Earth is known with sufficient accuracy). Unless the nature of the field of the outgoing radiation is known, flux magnitudes at the altitude of the satellite cannot be used for the flux at other levels without measuring the angular distribution of the reflected and radiated radiation. Here the non-uniformity of the base surface and atmosphere in the field of vision of the receiver is important (as well non-uniformity of temperature). * K. YA. KONDRAT~EV and M. R. FEDOROVA: Fluxes of outgoing long wave radiation on to Merently orientated surfaces (pp. 133-136). The authors compute the flows of outgoing thermal radiation on to plane surfaces at angles a from 0 to 90” at an altitude of 300 km in summer without cloud, with partial cloud and with continuous cloud. Except for partial cloud, the relative flows decrease more quickly with increasing a. After a = 20”, the decrease is practically linear. * S. G. KOLOSOV: Correlation of Earth’s and the Troposphere’s upward radiation tield with the temperature field (pp. 137-144). For such problems as forecasting changes in the pressure field in the upper atmosphere, it is necessary to take into account the radiation “adflow” of heat which is one of the main factors determining the processes of conversion of the thermobar field. This adflow of heat is due to the absorption in the upper atmosphere of the solar radiation from above, the long wave (thermal) radiation of the Earth and troposphere from below and the natural radiation. To determine the adflow of heat to the upper atmosphere it is therefore necessary to know the magnitude of the upward flow of long wave radiation at the lower boundary of the stratosphere. For want of any other method, the author relates the field of the upward radiation of the Earth and troposphere to the temperature field for the mean energy level of the atmosphere. The approximate upward flows for various dates and times between May and September 1961 and various geographical positions in the U.S.S.R. in December 1961 are tabulated. * G. N. KRYLOV et al. : An autonomous optical method of determining the orientation of an Earth satellite in space (pp. 145-153). To determine the direction to the Sun, solar radiation pickups whose indications are proportional to the cosine of the anele between the direction to the Sun and the axis of the uickuv, are mounted on the satellite at the vertices of ccube, or some other regular geometric figure. The co~ver&n matrix is found for changing from the satellite’s co-ordinates to the Earth’s co-ordinates. Each matrix element contains an unknown angle of rotation about the satellite-Sun axis, but these are found by scanning pickups. By further analysis it is possible to predict the orientation in space of the satellite.