Satellite Orbit Modeling

Precise modeling of a satellite's perturbed motion (special perturbations approach)

Version 4.3.0 (98.8 MB)
4.9K Downloads
(19)
5 Sep 2026

You are now following this Submission

This MATLAB package is a high-fidelity numerical orbit propagator for Earth satellites. It integrates the two-body equations of motion in the J2000/EME2000 inertial frame (IAU 1976 precession and IAU 1980 nutation; DE440 positions are ICRF and are used as J2000/EME2000). Accelerations include Earth's spherical-harmonic gravity field, IERS 2010 solid-Earth and FES2004 ocean tides, third-body gravity (Sun, Moon, and planets), solar radiation pressure, Earth albedo and infrared radiation pressure, atmospheric drag, and IERS 2010 relativistic acceleration. The demonstration driver test_Envisat.m propagates Envisat for 26.47 hours from a DORIS precise-orbit epoch and compares the result with the corresponding CNES DORIS POE.
The Envisat driver turns on static gravity (100 x 100), solid Earth tides, third bodies, conical-shadow SRP, and NRLMSISE-00 drag. Albedo/IR, ocean tides, and relativity are implemented and switched off (AuxParam.albedo = 0, OceanTides = 0, Relativity = 0). Those three flags stay off for the DORIS comparison: the run is open-loop with fixed Cr, Cd, and areas, while the POE is a fitted product with a macromodel and empirical accelerations. Leaving the optional forces off is a comparison choice, not a sign that the implementations are reversed.
The implementation follows Montenbruck and Gill, Satellite Orbits: Models, Methods, and Applications (Springer, corrected 3rd printing, 2005); Vallado, Fundamentals of Astrodynamics and Applications (4th edition, 2013); the IERS Conventions (2010) for tides, polar motion, and relativistic acceleration; and Knocke, Ries, and Tapley (1988) for Earth radiation pressure.
References:
• Montenbruck, O., and Gill, E., Satellite Orbits: Models, Methods, and Applications, Springer, Heidelberg, corrected 3rd printing, 2005.
• Vallado, D. A., Fundamentals of Astrodynamics and Applications, 4th edition, 2013.
• Petit, G., and Luzum, B. (eds.), IERS Conventions (2010), IERS Technical Note No. 36, especially Chapters 6 (tides) and 10 (relativity, Eq. 10.12).
• Knocke, P. C., Ries, J. C., and Tapley, B. D., Earth Radiation Pressure Effects on Satellites, Proc. AIAA/AAS Astrodynamics Conference, Minneapolis, 1988.
• Tapley, B., et al., GGM03C/GGM03S GRACE gravity field models; GM and reference radius as used in SAT_Const.m (const.GM_Earth, const.R_Grav).
• Picone, J. M., Hedin, A. E., Drob, D. P., and Aikin, A. C., NRLMSISE-00 empirical atmosphere, 2002.
• Folkner, W. M., et al., JPL Planetary and Lunar Ephemerides DE440; Chebyshev export used by JPL_Eph_DE440.m.
• Celestrak Space Data: EOP-All.txt and SW-All.txt (CSSI space weather).
• CNES/CLS Envisat DORIS precise orbit ephemeris DOR_VOR_AXVF-P20110720_151800_20020424_215528_20020426_002328 (orbito/3.7).

Cite As

Meysam Mahooti (2026). Satellite Orbit Modeling (https://se.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/fileexchange/54877-satellite-orbit-modeling), MATLAB Central File Exchange. Retrieved .

Categories

Find more on CubeSat and Satellites in Help Center and MATLAB Answers

General Information

MATLAB Release Compatibility

  • Compatible with any release

Platform Compatibility

  • Windows
  • macOS
  • Linux
Open in new tab
Version Published Release Notes
4.3.0

test_Envisat.m, AccelHarmonic.m, and AccelHarmonic_AnelasticEarth.m were modified.
4.2.2

The albedo effect was added.
4.2.1

It was revised on 2026-08-20.
4.2.0

Line 129 of nrlmsise00.m was modified.
4.1.1

It was revised on 2025-06-23.
4.1.0

Ephemeris.m was modified.
4.0.0

Accel.m, AccelSolrad.m, and Conical.m were modified.
3.3.3

Accel.m and JPL_Eph_DE440.m were modified.
3.3.2

In nrlmsise00.m, flags.switches(1)=1; was fixed for output in meters and kilograms instead of centimeters and grams.
3.3.1

AccelHarmonic_AnelasticEarth.m and AccelHarmonic_ElasticEarth.m were modified.
3.3.0

Runge_Kutta_Fehlberg_7_8 was added. test_Envisat.m and Ephemeris.m were modified.
3.2.2

test_Envisat.m and nrlmsise00.m were modified.
3.2.1

The conical shadow model was added.
3.2.0

AccelHarmonic_AnelasticEarth.m and AccelHarmonic_ElasticEarth.m were modified, and a readme file was added.
3.1.1

nrlmsise00.m is modified.
3.1.0

The gast.m is modified.
3.0.0

Modifications are made to Mjday.m, invjday.m, test_Envisat.m, nrlmsise00.m, and Accel.m.
2.2.2.2

Modifications are made to SAT_Const.m, AccelHarmonic_AnelasticEarth.m, AccelHarmonic_ElasticEarth.m, and Accel.m.
2.2.2.1

The AccelHarmonic_AnelasticEarth.m, the AccelHarmonic_ElasticEarth.m, and the Accel.m are modified.
2.2.1.1

Mjday_TDB.m and nrlmsise00.m are modified.
2.1.1.1

The DE430 full matrix is added.
2.1.1.0

AccelHarmonic_ElasticEarth.m and AccelHarmonic_AnelasticEarth.m are modified.

2.1.0.0

AccelHarmonic_ElasticEarth.m, AccelHarmonic_AnelasticEarth.m, test_Envisat.m and InitialState.txt are modified.
2.0.0.1

Documentation is added.
2.0.0.0

Effect of solid Earth tides is computed for elastic and anelastic Earth based on IERS Conventions 2010 (AccelHarmonic_ElasticEarth.m, AccelHarmonic_AnelasticEarth.m).
SAT_Const.m is called once to decrease CPU time.
IERS.m, nrlmsise00.m, and test_Envisat.m are modified to decrease CPU time.
Ephemeris.m is modified to decrease CPU time.
DE405 (planetary and lunar ephemerides) is replaced by DE430.
Satellite's ground track is plotted.
1.1.0.0

Density_nrlmsise00.m is improved.
.
Integrator is changed.
.
.
The image is added.
Revised on 2016-11-29.
1.0.0.0