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Orbital elements are the parameters required to uniquely identify a specific orbit. In celestial mechanics these elements are considered in two-body systems using a Kepler orbit . There are many different ways to mathematically describe the same orbit, but certain schemes, each consisting of a set of six parameters, are commonly used in ...
The basic orbit determination task is to determine the classical orbital elements or Keplerian elements, ,,,,, from the orbital state vectors [,], of an orbiting body with respect to the reference frame of its central body. The central bodies are the sources of the gravitational forces, like the Sun, Earth, Moon and other planets.
Orbital mechanics is a core discipline within space-mission design and control. Celestial mechanics treats more broadly the orbital dynamics of systems under the influence of gravity , including both spacecraft and natural astronomical bodies such as star systems , planets , moons , and comets .
The most prominent example of the classical two-body problem is the gravitational case (see also Kepler problem), arising in astronomy for predicting the orbits (or escapes from orbit) of objects such as satellites, planets, and stars. A two-point-particle model of such a system nearly always describes its behavior well enough to provide useful ...
Orbital position vector, orbital velocity vector, other orbital elements. In astrodynamics and celestial dynamics, the orbital state vectors (sometimes state vectors) of an orbit are Cartesian vectors of position and velocity that together with their time () uniquely determine the trajectory of the orbiting body in space.
The argument of periapsis (also called argument of perifocus or argument of pericenter), symbolized as ω , is one of the orbital elements of an orbiting body. Parametrically, ω is the angle from the body's ascending node to its periapsis , measured in the direction of motion.
Using classical mechanics, the solution can be expressed as a Kepler orbit using six orbital elements. The Kepler problem is named after Johannes Kepler , who proposed Kepler's laws of planetary motion (which are part of classical mechanics and solved the problem for the orbits of the planets) and investigated the types of forces that would ...
For most bodies, the osculating elements are relatively close to the proper elements because precession and perturbation effects are relatively small (see diagram). For over 99% of asteroids in the asteroid belt , the differences are less than 0.02 AU (for semi-major axis a ), 0.1 (for eccentricity e ), and 2° (for inclination i ).