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For calculating orbital state vectors of satellites, SGP4 (simplified perturbations model) is often used in conjunction with two-line element sets to calculate future positions of orbiting objects. What are the parameters and steps used in the SGP4 method to make these predictions? I am looking for an in depth source about how the model works.

Stu
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1 Answers1

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The canonical references are Spacetrack Report #3 which is the original documentation of the SGP4 algorithm, and Vallado + Kelso's Revisiting Spacetrack Report #3 which has updates, analysis and modern* source code with discussion.

* well, kinda :)

Community
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pericynthion
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    I also found this AIAA SGP4 Orbit Determination (David A. Vallado, PDF) that "might" be fractionally easier to follow. And here's his (commented) code for C++, FORTRAN, Pascal, and MATLAB (ZIP), link via Wiki on SGP/SDP. – TildalWave Dec 03 '14 at 21:23
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    @TildalWave that is an educational paper too, though it's about turning observations into TLEs rather than turning TLEs into state vectors. – pericynthion Dec 03 '14 at 21:40
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    @TildalWave Did you try to run the Matlab portion of the code? Just tried and it was incomplete. Had to fix a bunch of things to get it to work. Someone should update the Wiki. Update_1: Just found a newer copy of the *.zip file than the one that you have in your link. It comes directly from the website. Link to code download go to the download and you will see the SGP4 code. Hope this helps. Thanks for the paper reference. Update_2: Found a thesis on this topic [Link for thesis](http://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1094&cont – Moko Aug 05 '15 at 03:48
  • Some of the links @TildalWave mentioned are dead now, but I think this website has the same content he was referencing: http://www.celestrak.com/publications/AIAA/2006-6753/ – arr_sea Jun 19 '18 at 01:46
  • In 2014 this was considered a good answer, but these days it would likely be called "link-only". I wonder if it's possible to augment this with a bit of an answer that does not require the readers to go to those links and read the answer there instead of here? – uhoh Aug 13 '19 at 06:02
  • After checking all the papers mentioned above, I am wondering if there exists a paper or handbook, that declares the math calculation in the Spacetrack Report #3, because it only lists the formular. I know it's all about orbit mechanics, but putting the principles and calculations together is better to understand the SGP4 algorithm. – Bourne Ulr Feb 25 '22 at 10:14
  • @ROINT I think the papers you want are Spacetrack #1 and #2, which I'm using in the process of writing a new answer to this question. – Ryan C Feb 27 '22 at 05:15