Lunisolar Perturbations of High-Eccentricity Orbits Such as the Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission

Abstract

For highly eccentric orbits such as that of the Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS)mission, with apogee radius now 29.34 Earth radii, the third-body effects of Sun andMoon are the major perturbations. One key consequence is an oscillation in MMSperigee altitude, on an approximately 6 year cycle. This variation has already requiredperigee-raise maneuvers to avoid an untimely reentry. There is also a long-termevolution in the orientation of the MMS orbit, with period roughly twice as long. Thiseffect may potentially be useful for MMS science studies, as it can bring the spacecraftinto new regions of the magnetosphere