ATMOSPHERIC NEUTRAL DENSITY EXPERIMENT – 2 (ANDE-2)
Research Area: Spacecraft and Orbital Environments
Expedition(s): 19- 20
Principal Investigator(s): ● Robert E. Bruninga, United States Naval Academy, Annapolis,
Maryland
RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
Atmospheric Neutral Density
Experiment - 2 (ANDE-2) consists of 2
microsatellites launched from the
shuttle payload bay that measure the
density and composition of the low-
Earth orbit atmosphere while being
tracked from the ground. The data
will be used to better predict the
movement and decay of objects in
orbit.
EARTH BENEFITS
Improving calculations that are used
when observing orbits may lead to
advancements in the fields of
mathematics and physics on Earth.
SPACE BENEFITS
Understanding the atmospheric effects on spacecraft in low-Earth orbit will lead to improved
calculations for orbit determinations and collision avoidance.
This investigation is complete; however additional results are pending publication.
Deployment of Atmospheric Neutral Density Experiment- 2
(ANDE-2). ANDE-2 is part of a Department of Defense project
to provide high-quality satellites for calibrating techniques and
models for precision orbit determination. It will also provide
data on atmospheric composition for validating Air Force
sensors.