Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter add-on
Posted: 28.09.2005, 06:04
Download from my homepage.
A few disclaimers:
1) This is my first attempt at a Celestia add-on. Also my first post in the forums.
2) The Horizons data from JPL only goes out to Oct 15, so the .xyz data is incomplete (orbit only goes partway to Mars).
3) The JPL website only has a little data about the final science orbit of MRO at Mars, so the circular polar orbit is an approximation.
4) I don't know how to properly combine .xyz data for a non-elliptical orbit and .ssc for the science orbit around Mars (or two elliptical orbits by the same body, one around the Sun and the other around Mars). Tips on this problem would be appreciated. As it is, there are basically two MROs: one for the cruise to Mars, and the other for the science orbit, one ending when the other begins.
5) Due to even less data on the aerobraking phase, I had to skip that for now. Eventually, I'd like to have a single MRO, cruising to Mars, inserting into the highly elliptical polar aerobraking orbit, watching its apoapsis get lower and lower, until final burn circularizing the orbit. Again, suggestions would be appreciated.
6) Preferably, do all this before it has happened (predicting the orbits rather than simply plugging in the .xyz data recording where the orbiter went). Like how I could view the entire Cassini mission before it really began. Maybe we'll have to wait until after a further trajectory correction before Horizons will have more data?
A few disclaimers:
1) This is my first attempt at a Celestia add-on. Also my first post in the forums.
2) The Horizons data from JPL only goes out to Oct 15, so the .xyz data is incomplete (orbit only goes partway to Mars).
3) The JPL website only has a little data about the final science orbit of MRO at Mars, so the circular polar orbit is an approximation.
4) I don't know how to properly combine .xyz data for a non-elliptical orbit and .ssc for the science orbit around Mars (or two elliptical orbits by the same body, one around the Sun and the other around Mars). Tips on this problem would be appreciated. As it is, there are basically two MROs: one for the cruise to Mars, and the other for the science orbit, one ending when the other begins.
5) Due to even less data on the aerobraking phase, I had to skip that for now. Eventually, I'd like to have a single MRO, cruising to Mars, inserting into the highly elliptical polar aerobraking orbit, watching its apoapsis get lower and lower, until final burn circularizing the orbit. Again, suggestions would be appreciated.
6) Preferably, do all this before it has happened (predicting the orbits rather than simply plugging in the .xyz data recording where the orbiter went). Like how I could view the entire Cassini mission before it really began. Maybe we'll have to wait until after a further trajectory correction before Horizons will have more data?
I hope you'll write some more of them (Hayabusa for example)
