Unit 1

Elements of Conics – The n-Body Problem and Reduction to Two-Body Problem – Types of Orbits – Conservation of Energy and Angular Momentum in Orbits – Spherical Trigonometry – Geocentric-Equatorial, Heliocentric-Ecliptic, Right Ascension Declination, Topocentric-Horizon and Perifocal Co-Ordinate Systems and Transformations Between Them – Classical Orbital Elements.

Unit 2

Orbital Elements Determination from Position and Velocity at a Point – Determining Position and Velocity from Orbital Elements – Orbit Determinations from a Single Radar Observation, Three Position Vectors and Optical Sightings – Ellipsoidal Earth Model: Geodetic and Geocentric Latitudes – Ground Trace of Satellites – Solar and Sidereal Times – Precession of The Equinoxes – Low and High Earth Orbits: Orbital Perturbations due to Oblateness of Earth – Orbital Maneuvers: General Coplanar Orbit Transfer, Hohmann Transfer, Simple Plane Changes to an Orbit.

Unit 3

1. Roger R Bate, Donald D Mueller, Jerry E White and William W Saylor, “Fundamentals of Astrodynamics,” 2^nd edition, Dover, 2015.
2. Marshall H Kaplan, “Modern Spacecraft Dynamics and Control,” Wiley, 1976.

• Howard Curtis, “Orbital Mechanics for Engineers and Scientists,” 3^rd edition, Elsevier, 2010.
• Marcel J. Sidi, “Spacecraft Dynamics and Control: A Practical Engineering Approach,” Cambridge University Press, 1997.