Output details
15 - General Engineering
University of Southampton
Further evidence of long-term thermospheric density change using a new method of satellite ballistic coefficient estimation
Significance of output:
Atmospheric density modeling is the largest source of orbit prediction uncertainty for objects in low Earth orbit and limits efficient space debris mitigation planning. This paper evaluates human-induced changes in the thermosphere to inform the development of atmospheric models, such as the US Naval Research Laboratory’s MSIS (the standard atmospheric model for international space research, http://www.nrl.navy.mil/research/nrl-review/2003/atmospheric-science/picone/). Dr John Emmert (john.emmert@nrl.navy.mil, NRL Space Science Division) gave his view: “Incorporating long-term trends into MSIS is high on our list of priorities for its future development. This work strengthens the evidence for anthropogenic thermospheric climate change and it will influence our MSIS work.”
