Orbital Evolution of Mars Probes Using Gravity Field Model MRO120D

  Objectives   The Chinese Mars probe has been successfully launched and is currently orbiting Mars. This article analyzes several different satellite orbit characteristics in detail to find out the suitable orbits with stable operation characteristics.

  Methods   This paper uses the MAGREAS(Mars gravity recovery and analysis software/system)independently developed by Wuhan University to analyze the evolution of satellite orbits under different initial orbit heights, different initial orbital inclinations, different initial orbital eccentricities, and different orders of Martian gravitational field models. Then we make orbit predictions for the four situations.

  Results   The results show that satellite can run for nearly two years without any orbital adjustment. When the initial orbital inclination is 90°, it does not contribute to the running time of the satellite. In the calculation of orbital integration, the Martian gravity field model can be intercepted to 100 degrees without affecting the calculation accuracy.

  Conclusions   This paper has done a lot of orbit predictions based on different initial orbit elements, and analyzed the evolution characteristics of different satellite orbits. This research can provide a certain reference for China's Mars exploration project.