Near-Real-Time Global Thermospheric Density Variations Unveiled by Starlink Ephemeris

作者：Zhuoliang Ou, Jiahao Zhong, Yongqiang Hao, Ruoxi Li, Xin Wan, Kang Wang, Jiawen Chen, Hao Han, Xingyan Song, Wenyu Du, Yanyan Tang · 发表于：Remote Sensing · 年份：2025 · DOI：10.3390/rs17091549 · 被引用次数：3 · 研究领域：Geophysics and Gravity Measurements、Solar and Space Plasma Dynamics、Ionosphere and magnetosphere dynamics

Previous efforts to retrieve thermospheric density using satellite payloads have been limited to a small number of satellites equipped with GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receivers and accelerometers. These satellites are confined to a few orbital planes, and analysis can only be conducted after the data are processed and updated, resulting in sparse and delayed thermospheric density datasets. In recent years, the Starlink constellation, developed and deployed by SpaceX, has emerged as the world’s largest low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite constellation, with over 6000 satellites in operations as of October 2024. Through the strategic use of multiple orbital shells featuring various inclinations and altitudes, Starlink ensures continuous near-global coverage. Due to extensive coverage and frequent maneuvers, SpaceX has publicly released predicted ephemeris data for all Starlink satellites since May 2021, with updates approximately every 8 h. With the ephemeris data of Starlink satellites, we first apply a maneuver detection algorithm based on mean orbital elements to analyze their maneuvering behavior. The results indicate that Starlink satellites exhibit more frequent maneuvers during thermospheric disturbances. Then, we calculate the mechanical energy loss caused by non-conservative forces (primarily atmospheric drag) through precise dynamical models. The results demonstrate that, despite certain limitations in Starlink ephemeris data, the calculated mechanical ener...