The effect of the atmosphere on the attitute motion of a dumbbell-shaped artificial satellite (Q2761339)

The paper addresses the motion of an orbital two-body system, namely, of two material points with masses \(m_1\) and \(m_2\) connected by ideally flexible massless inextensible thread. It is assumed that the masses \(m_1\) and \(m_2\) are subjected to gravitational and aerodynamic forces, and the center of masses moves in a Kepler orbit. The authors derive equations of motion which take into account the aerogradient effect. The latter may lead to the spacecraft rotation and to the chaotization of orbit ellipticity.