Table of Contents:

  1. Analytic Perturbed Orbit Propagators (slides)
  2. SP-type Space Catalog (slides)
  3. Optical and Radar Observations (slides)
  4. Track Association-Correlate Observations (slides)
  5. IOD Overview (slides)
  6. IOD Optical Data Processing (slides)
  7. IOD Radar Data Processing (slides)
  8. DC Overview (slides)
  9. DC Optical Data Processing (slides)
  10. DC Radar Data Processing (slides)
  11. References
  12. Brouwer vs. Vinti (PDF)

  • IOD: Initial Orbit Determination
  • DC: Differential Correction

This book includes concise theories, equations and computer source codes that you won't find in any other textbook. Click book below to purchase.

Testimonials

The topic of fast and accurate whole catalog SSA is
important, challenging, and seldom discussed in detail. This text provides a foundation from which a SSA system could be built. Gim’s use of Vinti propagation makes it even more interesting!

David A Vallado, Senior Research Astrodynamicist, COMSPOC

As a member and leader of teams that maintained the 427M Space
Computational Center and built SPADOC 4, I am quite familiar with the works of
the space-age masters: Herrick, Battin, Brouwer, Kozai, Vinti, Escobal, Hilton, Wright, Chao, and Hoots, as well as the contemporary textbooks by David A. Vallado and Howard D. Curtis. Dr. Der joins them now with his amazing opus on
astrodynamic algorithms, complete with real-world test cases and working code
in the three top contemporary computer languages.

Roger L. Mansfield, Astronomical Data Service and The MITRE Corporation

The race to space superiority may have just received a boost with the debut of Gim Der’s Astrodynamics Algorithms for Rapid Space Catalog Building.  The leader will be the one that can incorporate the techniques detailed in this book. Not
only advances in the forgotten Vinti algorithm are revisited anew but the integration of its use in the classical IOD problems of Laplace and Gauss and in
estimation (both Batch and Sequential) demonstrates the power of the perturbed orbital motion using analytical techniques to solving many challenging problems of modern catalog building, not to mention the source code of all computations being provided. This is a treasure that is worth much more than the price of
the book itself.

Dr. Triet Tran, Chief Scientist, Cornerstone Consulting & Services LLC

Welcome to Der Astrodynamics


The world premier Astrodynamics Algorithms for Rapid and Automated Space Catalog Building



This book does not derive fundamental astrodynamics equations and theories, which can be found in many excellent textbooks. However, this book gives the readers the computer source codes of 14 computer programs in Fortran, C or Matlab that cannot be found in any other Astrodynamics textbooks. Chapters 1 to 5 provide key insights and source codes of seven fundamental and analytic astrodynamics algorithms to bridge the theories and practice of orbit propagation, initial orbit determination (IOD), batch and sequential differential correction (DC) in general, and applied to rapid space catalog building in particular. Appendix A includes source codes of 11 numerical integrators for short and long duration numerical orbit propagation. Appendix B includes source codes of seven analytic and numerical state transition matrices. Appendix C shows the excellent fit of the Vinti orbit propagator for autonomous on-orbit propagation of GPS equipped CubeSats. Appendix D documents the heated historical exchange on analytic perturbed orbit propagation between Professor John Vinti of MIT and Professor Dirk Brouwer of Yale University around Christmas of 1959. Over 100 numerical examples using real and simulated data illustrate how these algorithms are applied in practice. No claim is made that these algorithms are the best or coded efficiently for specific applications. These elegant computer programs provide the foundation from which a SSA system could be built as indicated by David Vallado.