A Short Course in Orbital Mechanics : Part I: The Two-Body Problem

This is a short course covering introductory topics in orbital mechanics.

It focuses on the Two-Body Problem. This course is structured to present the basic concepts without the in-depth theoretical background and mathematical derivations that commonly accompany an academic presentation of the subject.

My intention is to introduce orbital mechanics in a simplified manner to those with no previous background in the field, or to provide a review to those who have studied the subject previously.

Readers should have a familiarity with differential and integral calculus and differential equations to help understand some equations presented.The form of this short course is like the many short courses I've taught at government agencies and private corporations during my thirty-five-year career as an aerospace engineering professor at Auburn University.

It presents the material in a simplified outline/bullet format using many understandable figures, rather than using lengthy, detailed explanations with complex mathematical derivations and proofs.

It provides the practical equations that are useful to the practicing engineer working in orbital mechanics.

The objectives of this short course are to: Review coordinate systems, time and timekeeping, basic definitions, and terminology commonly used in orbital mechanics.; Present the fundamentals of two-body orbital mechanics, i.e., the study of the motion of natural and artificial bodies in space; Review Newton's Laws of Motion, Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation, and Kepler's Laws; Describe applications of two-body orbital mechanics, including launching, ground tracks, orbital transfers, plane changes, interplanetary trajectories, and planetary capture; Review alternate solutions to Kepler's Problem, including the f and g function solutions and the f and g series solutions.T material presented is usually covered in a first course in orbital mechanics except that there is no required homework, quizzes, projects, computer programs, or examinations.

I believe that even a novice reading through this material will gain an in-depth understanding of two-body orbital mechanics.

My former students should recognize everything in this presentation, and if they didn't learn it the first time, they can learn it now through this simplified short course with a lot less work. Orbital mechanics is not easy, but it's my goal to make it enjoyably simple once the basic laws are understood.

To do so, I've attempted to present the difficult concepts as clearly as possible to facilitate that understanding.

Completion of this short course should enhance the knowledge base of all those who read through its content.This short course is part of a series I've developed as a Professor at Auburn University.

Others in this series that will be available soon include: Orbital Mechanics, Part II: Satellite Perturbations; State Estimation and Kalman Filtering; and Fundamentals of Inertial Navigation and Missile Guidance If you have questions, please contact me at: ciccida@auburn.edu.