Preface: Maintaining a satellite’s orbit involves a combination of precise calculations and regular adjustments. Here are the key factors:
- Velocity and Gravity: A satellite stays in orbit by balancing its velocity (speed in a straight line) with the gravitational pull of the Earth. The satellite must travel fast enough to counteract the pull of gravity, which keeps it in a stable orbit.
- Orbital Station-Keeping: This involves small adjustments using thrusters to correct any deviations in the satellite’s path. These maneuvers ensure the satellite remains in its designated orbit.
- Fuel Management: Satellites carry a limited amount of fuel for these adjustments. Efficient fuel management is crucial for prolonging the satellite’s operational life.
- Monitoring and Control: Ground stations continuously monitor satellites and send commands to perform necessary adjustments. This helps in maintaining the satellite’s orbit and addressing any potential issues.
Background: The PyEphem module provides highly precise data on the planets and our solar system. This module leverages an extremely robust C library that allows you to pinpoint planets, perform interplanetary calculations and discover more data than you’ll ever know what to do with.
Best practice: If you’re using PyEphem, it’s a good idea to keep your Python environment and libraries up to date and to check the module’s GitHub repository for any reported issues or updates.