An Earth Albedo Model: A Mathematical Model for the Radiant Energy Input to an Orbiting Spacecraft Due to the Diffuse Reflectance of Solar Radiation from the Earth Below

Abstract

Past missions have shown that the earth's albedo can have a significant effect on the sun sensors used for spacecraft attitude control information. In response to this concern, an algorithm was developed to simulate this phenomenon, consisting of two parts, the physical model of albedo and its effect on the sun sensors. This paper contains the theoretical development of this model, practical operational notes, and its implementation in a FORTRAN subroutine