A frequency portrait of Low Earth Orbits

Abstract

In this work, we deepen and complement the analysis on the dynamics of Low Earth Orbits (LEO), carried out by the authors within the H2020 ReDSHIFT project, by characterising the evolution of the eccentricity of a large set of orbits in terms of the main frequency components. Decomposing the quasi-periodic time series of eccentricity of a given orbit by means of a numerical computation of Fourier transform, we link each frequency signature to the dynamical perturbation which originated it in order to build a frequency chart of the LEO region. We analyse and compare the effects on the eccentricity due to Solar radiation pressure, lunisolar perturbations and high-degree zonal harmonics of the geopotential both in the time and frequency domains. In particular, we identify the frequency signatures due to the dynamical resonances found in LEO, and we discuss the opportunity to exploit the corresponding growth of eccentricity in order to outline decommissioning strategies.