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arXiv · 2112.06313

Synchronous Satellites of Venus

Anthony R. Dobrovolskis·Jose Luis Alvarellos
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Abstract

Synchronous satellites of Venus have long been thought unstable, but we use Poincare's surface of section technique to show that synchronous quasi-satellites orbiting just outside Venus' Hill sphere are quite stable, at least for centuries. Such synchrosats always remain within a few degrees of Venus' equator, and drift very slowly in longitude. These synchrosats could be useful for continuous monitoring of points on Venus' surface, such as active landforms or long-lived landers.

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Anthony R. Dobrovolskis, Jose Luis Alvarellos. 2021-12-12. Synchronous Satellites of Venus. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asr.2021.09.022

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