Forecast E10.7 for improved low-earth-orbit satellite operations

Low-Earth-orbit satellite operators often require accurate and precise knowledge of their spacecraft location and attitude for the recent past, the present, and the near future. The same is true of space surveillance operators tracking space debris with low perigee orbits. Unwanted orbital and attitude orientation changes occur as a result of drag and perturbations that are related to atmospheric density changes. These changes are primarily induced by solar extreme ultraviolet irradiance variations and geomagnetic storms, that is, one of the effects of space weather. A method for improving low-Earth-orbiting satellite operations and space surveillance tracking has been developed using the SOLAR2000 empirical solar irradiance model. SOLAR2000 is an operational grade solar irradiance specification model that provides high time resolution, nowcast, and forecast solar irradiances including the E-10.7 proxy. E-10.7 is a replacement for 10.7-cm solar radio flux F-10.7 in atmospheric density models that are linked with orbit determination algorithms. Recent previous validation work shows the improvement of using daily E-10.7 VS F-10.7 for satellite orbit determination. The operational application and use of the E-10.7 proxy are described in this work.