Analysis of Satellite Drag Coefficients Based on Physical and Orbital Specifications

This paper provides a detailed analysis of satellite drag coefficients based on their geometrical properties and their B-star parameters reported as part of the two-line element data. In order to conduct the study, a knowledge of two groups of parameters is required: i) the reported B-star parameter, which can be obtained from the two-line element data sets, and ii) mass and shape of the objects, which can be acquired from the DISCOS catalogue (Database and Information System Characterising Objects in Space by the Space Debris Office at the European Space Agency). The B-star drag term esti-mates the effects of drag on a satellite's motion and is used for simplified general perturbations orbit propagators. Since the drag force depends heavily on the attitude and shape of the satellite, the reported B-star value represents an average quantity in between observations. The primary objective of this study is to find a correlation between the drag coefficient and the physical properties of satellites. This work estimates the drag coefficients for several thousand satellites from geometric and orbit data, and performs a statistical analysis categorizing these objects based on their physical properties and across different orbital regimes. The implications of the findings with respect to atmospheric reentry and debris removal are discussed, since the drag coefficient plays a critical role in predicting the orbital trajectory of space objects during their reentry into and passage through the Earth's atmosphere.