Satellite Aerodynamics and Determination of Thermospheric Density and Wind

At present several satellites for earth gravity field measurement are in low polar orbits. These satellites have slender shapes and are equipped with highly sensitive accelerometer packages. Accelerometer data of these satellites can be used to determine local atmospheric density and winds. For this task accurate aerodynamic data of the satellites are required. The paper addresses how uncertainties in actual gas surface interaction and in the highly variable molecular speed ratio can be treated and minimized.