Supplemental satellites and lunisolar precession

Summary Two earth orbiting satellites with the same semimajor axes and eccentricities, but supplemental inclinations, define a direction — the bisector of their nodal lines — which is free from the secular motion due to the oblateness of the earth (Ciufolini 1986). We show that the inclination and the longitude of the node refer to the direction of the angular momentum of the earth. Because of the lunisolar precession and nutation, the longitude of the bisector so defined changes in a way dependent on the orientation of the angular momentum. If the relativistic Lense-Thirring precession is assumed, its measurement with two supplemental satellites will give information about the precessional and nutational constants.Research supported by the Piano Spazïale Nazionale of Italy.