Calculating the Altitude of a Nominal Burst

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In summary: Wo1nzD3Cv0&t=1057sIn summary, there is no consensus on how to calculate the Altitude of Nominal Burst for an incoming satellite.
  • #1
Laurie K
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Does anybody know how to calculate an incoming satellites Altitude of Nominal Burst (not balloon burst altitude) from solar X-ray flux and particle precipitation rates along with other standard variables?

For reference the following link is to an Australian BOM Satellite Orbital Decay Calculations PDF (1998) that has an Orbital Decay program with 180km hardcoded as the altitude of re entry and it uses solar X-ray flux and particle precipitation rates along with mass and other variables. It would be relatively easy to modify the methodology to calculate the correct re-entry altitude and remove the hard coded starting altitude (300km) if a method was available that used the same variables.

http://www.sws.bom.gov.au/Category/...Effects/SatelliteOrbitalDecayCalculations.pdf
 
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  • #2
Laurie K said:
Does anybody know how to calculate an incoming satellites Altitude of Nominal Burst (not balloon burst altitude) from solar X-ray flux and particle precipitation rates along with other standard variables?

you labelled your thread a A for post graduate level ... personal research should be second nature for you

I put your "Altitude of Nominal Burst" into google and got zillions of hits, I'm sure some of them your be helpful to you

The first hit even had coding
 
  • #3
davenn said:
The first hit even had coding

If you look that's my post. All you get when you google is nothing but balloon burst altitudes, that's why I made it advanced.
 
  • #4
Laurie K said:
If you look that's my post. All you get when you google is nothing but balloon burst altitudes, that's why I made it advanced.

the links, including the one I commented on, were related to satellites, not balloons
maybe you need to refine your search parameters, shouldn't be too difficult for a post grad student :wink:
 
  • #5
Davenn, sorry I come from Australia and when I google the US Strat Comm website for tiangong I get absolutely nothing (it has a line through tiangong). The only links I get globally for "Altitude of Nominal Burst" (i.e. exact spelling) are 4 pages of space junk re-entries associated with satview.org or derivative reports from them and satview says the projections are from the US Strategic Command. Satview's parent company sells a data service.
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  • #6
Laurie K said:
Does anybody know how to calculate an incoming satellites Altitude of Nominal Burst (not balloon burst altitude) from solar X-ray flux and particle precipitation rates along with other standard variables?

For reference the following link is to an Australian BOM Satellite Orbital Decay Calculations PDF (1998) that has an Orbital Decay program with 180km hardcoded as the altitude of re entry and it uses solar X-ray flux and particle precipitation rates along with mass and other variables. It would be relatively easy to modify the methodology to calculate the correct re-entry altitude and remove the hard coded starting altitude (300km) if a method was available that used the same variables.

http://www.sws.bom.gov.au/Category/Educational/Space Weather/Space Weather Effects/SatelliteOrbitalDecayCalculations.pdf
I think the Altitude of Nominal Burst you are looking is for a controlled re-entry, where the satellite is given a burst from the thrusters to put it into an orbit for fast re-entry, or into an orbit with a more predictable frictional re-entry. Depending upon the power level available from the thrusters, one or the other is preferred.
https://conference.sdo.esoc.esa.int/proceedings/sdc7/paper/665/SDC7-paper665.pdf
 
  • #7
Laurie K said:
Davenn, sorry I come from Australia

don't be sorry for being in Australia, I am from there too, a Sydneysider, it's an awesome country

I googled your own words

Laurie K said:
incoming satellites Altitude of Nominal Burst

and got many pages of hits :smile:
 
  • #8
Thanks 256bits and Davenn.

Whatever it is there appears to be no real consensus at the moment on how to calculate accurate re-entry forecasts, at least in the public domain.
 
  • #9
256bits said:
I think the Altitude of Nominal Burst you are looking is for a controlled re-entry, where the satellite is given a burst from the thrusters to put it into an orbit for fast re-entry, or into an orbit with a more predictable frictional re-entry. Depending upon the power level available from the thrusters, one or the other is preferred.
Things get even more difficult for uncontrolled re-entries like Tiangong I.
 

1. How do you calculate the altitude of a nominal burst?

The altitude of a nominal burst can be calculated by using the equation: Altitude = (Velocity)^2 / (2 * Acceleration), where the velocity is the speed of the object and the acceleration is the rate of change of velocity.

2. What is a nominal burst?

A nominal burst is the point at which a projectile or object reaches its maximum height before falling back down to the ground. It is often used in military or scientific contexts to determine the effectiveness or range of a projectile.

3. How do you measure the velocity of an object?

The velocity of an object can be measured using a variety of methods, such as radar guns, motion sensors, or by analyzing the object's trajectory over a known distance. In some cases, the velocity may also be known or estimated based on the type of object being launched.

4. What factors can affect the accuracy of altitude calculations for a nominal burst?

Several factors can affect the accuracy of altitude calculations for a nominal burst, including air resistance, wind speed and direction, and the shape and weight of the object being launched. These factors can cause variations in the object's velocity and acceleration, leading to errors in the calculated altitude.

5. Can the altitude of a nominal burst be calculated for any type of object?

Yes, the altitude of a nominal burst can be calculated for any type of object that follows a parabolic trajectory, such as a projectile or a thrown object. However, the accuracy of the calculation may vary depending on the factors mentioned above.

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