Orbital Mechanics for Engineering Students

1. Dynamics of Point Masses
2. The Two-Body Problem
3. Orbital Position as a Function of Time
4. Orbits in Three Dimensions
5. Preliminary Orbit Determination
6. Orbital Maneuvers
7. Relative Motion and Rendezvous
8. Interplanetary Trajectories
9. Lunar Trajectories
10. Introduction to Orbital Perturbations
11. Rigid Body Dynamics
12. Spacecraft Attitude Dynamics
13. Rocket Vehicle Dynamics

Appendix A Physical Data

Appendix B A Road Map

Appendix C Numerical Integration of the N-Body Equations of Motion

Appendix D MATLAB Scripts

Appendix E Gravitational Potential of a Sphere

Appendix F Computing the Difference Between Nearly Equal Numbers

Appendix G Direction Cosine Matrix in Terms of the Unit Quaternion

Orbital Mechanics for Engineering Students, Fourth Edition, is a key text for students of aerospace engineering. While this latest edition has been updated with new content and included sample problems, it also retains its teach-by-example approach that emphasizes analytical procedures, computer-implemented algorithms, and the most comprehensive support package available, including fully worked solutions, PPT lecture slides, and animations of selected topics. Highly illustrated and fully supported with downloadable MATLAB algorithms for project and practical work, this book provides all the tools needed to fully understand the subject.

Undergraduate students in aerospace, astronautical, mechanical engineering, and engineering physics; related professional aerospace and space engineering fields