Secular Motion around TriAxial, Synchronously Orbiting, Planetary Satellites: Aplication to Europa

  1. Lara, M. 1
  2. San-Juan, J.F. 2
  3. Ferrer, S. 3
  1. 1 Ephemeris Department, Real Observatorio de la Armada, 11 110 San Fernando, Spain
  2. 2 Universidad de La Rioja
    info

    Universidad de La Rioja

    Logroño, España

    ROR https://ror.org/0553yr311

  3. 3 Universidad de Murcia
    info

    Universidad de Murcia

    Murcia, España

    ROR https://ror.org/03p3aeb86

Show affiliations +
Journal:
Advances in the Astronautical Sciences

ISSN: 0065-3438

Year of publication: 2005

Volume: 120

Issue: II

Pages: 1147-1166

Type: Article

SCOPUS: 2-s2.0-26944488644 WoS: WOS:000231281700064 GOOGLE SCHOLAR

More publications in: Advances in the Astronautical Sciences

Abstract

We investigate the secular motion of a spacecraft around the Jovian moon Europa. Our model takes into account the gravitational potential of Europa up to the second order, and the third body perturbation in Hill's approximation. Close to Europa the ratio of the rotation rate of Europa to the mean motion of the orbiter is small. When considering this ratio as a small parameter the Coriolis effect is a first order perturbation, while the third body tidal attraction, the ellipticity effect, and the oblateness perturbation remain at higher orders. Then, we apply perturbation theory and find that a third order approach is enough to manifest the influence of the satellite's ellipticity in the perigee dynamics.