Process / pipelineOrbital Mechanics

SGP4 TLE Propagation

SGP4 (Simplified General Perturbations 4) is a rapid orbital propagation method that predicts satellite position and velocity from Two-Line Element (TLE) sets published by NORAD. Developed in the 1970s, SGP4 accounts for atmospheric drag, gravitational perturbations, and solar radiation pressure using simplified analytical models. SGP4 is the de facto standard for space surveillance, conjunction assessment, and satellite tracking.

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Sources

  1. Vallado, D. A., Crawford, P., Hujsa, R., & Kelso, T. S. (2006). Revisiting Spacetrack Report Number 3. In AIAA/AAS Astrodynamics Specialist Conference. DOI: 10.2514/6.2006-6753
  2. Kelso, T. S. (1995). Analysis of the Iridium 33/Cosmos 2251 Collision. CelesTrak. link
  3. Hoots, F. R., & Roehrich, R. L. (1980). Models for Propagation of NORAD Element Sets. Spacetrack Report No. 3. link

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Referenced by

ScholarGateSGP4 TLE Propagation (Simplified General Perturbations 4 with Two-Line Element Set). Retrieved 2026-06-04 from https://scholargate.app/en/aerospace/sgp4-tle-propagation