The results of an observation campaign devoted to the determination of uncontrolled tumbling rocket bodies rotational state by ground-based optical observations are presented. The photometric analysis was performed in order to extract light curves from photos obtained by a CCD camera. The rotation axis direction and angular speed have been determined comparing theoretical predictions obtained in the simplifying assumption of cylindrical, diffusely reflecting cylinders with the actual measurements. The angular speed is evaluated by the light curve period. The direction of rotation axis is evaluated by measuring the difference between the maximum and minimum tumbling rocket bodies' apparent magnitude. This evaluation can be performed from a single observing site, by combining measurements collected during a suitable observation time span. The results achieved for the object SL- 12 RB 37140 are reported, showing a good agreement between determinations obtained in completely different observation geometries. Copyright © (2012) by the International Astronautical Federation.
Rocket body rotational state estimation by remote optical observations / Santoni, Fabio; E., Cordelli; Piergentili, Fabrizio. - STAMPA. - 4:(2012), pp. 2711-2719. (Intervento presentato al convegno 63rd International Astronautical Congress 2012, IAC 2012 tenutosi a Naples nel 1 October 2012 through 5 October 2012).
Rocket body rotational state estimation by remote optical observations
SANTONI, Fabio;PIERGENTILI, FABRIZIO
2012
Abstract
The results of an observation campaign devoted to the determination of uncontrolled tumbling rocket bodies rotational state by ground-based optical observations are presented. The photometric analysis was performed in order to extract light curves from photos obtained by a CCD camera. The rotation axis direction and angular speed have been determined comparing theoretical predictions obtained in the simplifying assumption of cylindrical, diffusely reflecting cylinders with the actual measurements. The angular speed is evaluated by the light curve period. The direction of rotation axis is evaluated by measuring the difference between the maximum and minimum tumbling rocket bodies' apparent magnitude. This evaluation can be performed from a single observing site, by combining measurements collected during a suitable observation time span. The results achieved for the object SL- 12 RB 37140 are reported, showing a good agreement between determinations obtained in completely different observation geometries. Copyright © (2012) by the International Astronautical Federation.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
