EFFECTS OF ATMOSPHERIC DENSITY MODELS AND ESTIMATION TECHNIQUES ON UNCONTROLLED RE-ENTRY PREDICTION

This paper is focused on the effects of atmospheric density models and drag coefficient on the atmospheric re-entry prediction of an uncontrolled space object. For an accurate prediction of the impact time and location, the states of break-up point are obtained from its orbital motion to terminal location of impact. By using the Monte-Carlo method, the break-up event that generates a group of break-up particles is simply modeled with the consideration of empirical wind model. For the analysis of the effects of the density model on re-entry prediction, four difference density models and drag coefficients were used in the prediction of re-entry trajectory and break-up event.