Orbit prediction and Earth shadow modeling for Chandrayaan-2 Orbiter

• Published in: Astrophysics and space science Vol. 366; no. 8
• Main Authors: Srivastava, Vineet K., Mishra, Padmdeo, Ramakrishna, B. N., Kushvah, B. S.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01.08.2021; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Astrobiology; Astronomy; Astrophysics; Astrophysics and Astroparticles; Cosmology; Earth; Earth orbits; Eclipses; Forecasting; Indian spacecraft; Lunar orbits; Lunar phases; Lunar probes; Modelling; Multinational space ventures; Observations and Techniques; Original Article; Parking orbits; Payloads; Physics; Physics and Astronomy; Prediction models; Shadows; Space Exploration and Astronautics; Space missions; Space Sciences (including Extraterrestrial Physics; Spacecraft; Projection map method; Earth shadow; SPOP; Solar intensity; CH2 Orbiter
• ISSN: 0004-640X; 1572-946X
• DOI: 10.1007/s10509-021-03991-x

Chandrayaan-2, India’s second Moon mission, comprised of Orbiter, Lander and Rover modules was launched on July 22, 2019. The Chandrayaan-2 (CH2) Orbiter, which carries eight scientific payloads, is placed into a circular lunar orbit of 100 km altitude with an orbital period of around 120 minutes. After the successful injection of the spacecraft in the intended Earth parking orbit, it started facing eclipses during the Earth bound, Trans lunar, and lunar phases. This paper describes a high-fidelity orbit prediction propagator known as the Satellite Precise Orbit Propagator (SPOP), and an Earth shadow eclipse prediction model: the projection map method for the lunar orbiting spacecraft. The orbit and eclipse prediction models are simulated for the CH2 Orbiter. Results obtained by the models compare well with globally popular commercial package, Systems Tool Kit (STK) of Analytic Graphic Inc.