GRACE-FO radiation pressure modelling for accurate density and crosswind retrieval

Uncertainties in radiation pressure modelling play a significant role in the thermospheric density and crosswind observations derived from the GRACE-FO accelerometer, especially during low solar activity. Under such conditions, the radiation pressure acceleration matches the magnitude of the aerodynamic acceleration along the track and...

CASPA-ADM: a mission concept for observing thermospheric mass density

Cold Atom technology has undergone rapid development in recent years and has been demonstrated in space in the form of cold atom scientific experiments and technology demonstrators, but has so far not been used as the fundamental sensor technology in a science mission. The European Space Agency therefore funded a 7-month project to define the...

Cross-wind from linear and angular satellite dynamics: The GOCE perspective on horizontal and vertical wind in the thermosphere

The decay of satellite orbits has been used extensively to obtain thermospheric density measurements. With the introduction of accelerometers in spacecraft, the spatial resolution of these data could be increased. At the same time, the direction of the measured acceleration provides a measure for the direction of the incoming flow, and therefore...

Trajectory optimization of extended formation flights for commercial aviation

This paper presents a trajectory optimization study that has been conducted using a recently developed tool for the synthesis and analysis of extended flight formations of long-haul commercial aircraft, with the aim to minimize overall fuel consumption. In extended flight formations, trailing aircraft can attain an appreciable reduction in...

Horizontal and vertical thermospheric cross-wind from GOCE linear and angular accelerations

Thermospheric wind measurements obtained from linear non-gravitational accelerations of the Gravity field and steady-state Ocean Circulation Explorer (GOCE) satellite show discrepancies when compared to ground-based measurements. In this paper the cross-wind is derived from both the linear and the angular accelerations using a newly developed...

Characterization of Thermospheric Vertical Wind Activity at 225- to 295-km Altitude Using GOCE Data and Validation Against Explorer Missions

Recently, the horizontal and vertical cross wind at 225- to 295-km altitude were derived from linear acceleration measurements of the Gravity field and steady-state Ocean Circulation Explorer satellite. The vertical component of these wind data is compared to wind data derived from the mass spectrometers of the Atmosphere Explorer C and E and...

Experimental set-up of the Double Slip Joint

The Double Slip Joint (DSJ) is a new design to connect the transition piece to the foundation pile of an offshore wind turbine. It potentially offers high dynamic strength and reliability at a lower cost thereby assisting the decrease in cost of wind energy. The design is based on a self-locking principle through vertical settlement of the joint...

Zonal winds in the equatorial upper thermosphere: Decomposing the solar flux, geomagnetic activity, and seasonal dependencies

Using 3 years (2002–2004), over 16,400 orbits of measurements from the accelerometer on board the CHAMP satellite, we have studied the climatology of the equatorial zonal wind in the upper thermosphere. Several main features are noticed. The most prominent one is that the solar flux significantly influences both the daytime and nighttime winds....