Fast and precise propagation of satellite orbits is required for mission design, orbit determination and payload data analysis. We present a method to improve the computational performance of numerical propagators and simultaneously maintain the accuracy level required by any particular application. This is achieved by determining the positional accuracy needed and the corresponding acceptable error in acceleration on the basis of the mission requirements, removing those perturbation forces whose effect is negligible compared to the accuracy requirement, implementing an efficient and precise algorithm for the harmonic synthesis of the geopotential gradient (i.e., the gravitational acceleration) and adjusting the tolerance of the numerical propagator to achieve the prescribed accuracy level with minimum cost. In particular, to achieve the optimum balance between accuracy and computational performance, the number of geopotential spherical harmonics to retain is adjusted during the integration on the basis of the accuracy requirement. The contribution of high-order harmonics decays rapidly with altitude, so the minimum expansion degree meeting the target accuracy decreases with height. The optimum degree for each altitude is determined by making the truncation error of the harmonic synthesis equal to the admissible acceleration error. This paper presents a detailed description of the technique and test cases highlighting its accuracy and efficiency.

任务设计，轨道确定和有效载荷数据分析需要快速，精确地传播卫星轨道。我们提出一种提高数值传播器计算性能并同时保持任何特定应用所需的精度水平的方法。这是通过根据任务要求确定所需的位置精度以及相应的加速度可接受误差，消除与精度要求相比影响可忽略的微扰力，实现高效且精确的谐波合成算法来实现的地势梯度（即重力加速度）并调整数字传播器的公差，从而以最小的成本达到规定的精度水平。特别是，为了在精度和计算性能之间达到最佳平衡，积分时要根据精度要求调整要保留的地势球谐函数的数量。高次谐波的贡献随高度迅速衰减，因此满足目标精度的最小膨胀度随高度而减小。通过使谐波合成的截断误差等于允许的加速度误差，可以确定每种高度的最佳度。本文提供了对该技术的详细说明，并重点介绍了其准确性和效率的测试案例。高次谐波的贡献随高度迅速衰减，因此满足目标精度的最小膨胀度随高度而减小。通过使谐波合成的截断误差等于允许的加速度误差，可以确定每种高度的最佳度。本文提供了对该技术的详细说明，并重点介绍了其准确性和效率的测试案例。高次谐波的贡献随高度迅速衰减，因此满足目标精度的最小膨胀度随高度而减小。通过使谐波合成的截断误差等于允许的加速度误差，可以确定每种高度的最佳度。本文提供了对该技术的详细说明，并重点介绍了其准确性和效率的测试案例。