GYROSCOPIC PRECESSION AND FORCED PRECESSION ORBIT

The analogous precession phenomena of gyroscope and orbital plane are based on the dynamical similarity. In present paper a special kind of forced precession orbit is proposed through the comparison of dynamical models of gyroscope and orbital plane. When the initial orbit is a circular orbit, the forced precession orbit can be realized by the action of a constant normal control force. The characters of forced precession orbital motion are discussed using the mathematical model expressed by quaternion, and the analytical solutions are obtained. It is shown that the forced precession orbit and the initial orbit are laying on the same spherical surface, and they are tangent each other at the initial position. The angular velocity of the forced precession orbit is the summation of precession speed and the angular velocity of the initial orbit. The new orbit is a non-Keplerian displaced orbit, which has a potential perspective of applications in Earth observation, planetary science, observational astronomy, telecommunications and geo-engineering. The analysis from the view point of forced precession provides a new way to realize the displaced orbit.