Long-periodic and secular perturbations to the orbits of Explorer 19 and Lageos due to direct solar radiation pressure

A theory for the long-term variations in the orbit of a spherically symmetric satellite due to direct solar radiation pressure is tested using two satellite orbit analyses. The first of these analyses is in terms of mean elements for the balloon satellite Explorer 19. The results are compared with the expected theoretical variations with short-period terms omitted. The second analysis utilises satellite laser ranging observations of the geodetic satellite, Lageos. A novel long-term analysis technique is developed primarily for laser ranging studies. The technique is tested along with the solar radiation pressure perturbation theory by comparing the results from the theory and the analysis.