Natural Orbital Environment Guidelines for Use in Aerospace Vehicle Development.

Abstract : This document provides definitions of the natural near-Earth space environment suitable for use in the initial development/design phase of any space vehicle. The natural environment includes the neutral atmosphere, plasma, charged particle radiation, electromagnetic radiation (EMR), meteoroids, orbital debris, magnetic field, physical and thermal constants, and gravitational field. Communications and other unmanned satellites operate in geosynchronous-Earth orbit (GEO); therefore, some data are given for GEO, but emphasis is on altitudes from 200km to 1000km (low-Earth orbit (LEO)). This doccment does not cover the induced environment or other effects resulting from presence of the space vehicle. Manmade factors are included as part of the ambient natural enviroment; i.e., orbital debris and radio frequency (RF) noise generated on Earth, because they are not caused by the presence of the space vehicle but form part of the ambient environment that the space vehicle experiences. Orbital environment, Space environment, Thermosphere, Low-Earth orbit, Satellite design, Ionosphere, Geophysics.