Description | Example | Return message | Group

Position (Vehicles)

Locate a vehicle

Syntax

Position <ObjectPath> [{TimeValue}]

Description

Use the Position command to request the position of a vehicle.

If {TimeValue} is not entered, the position of the vehicle at its start time is used. For valid {TimeValue} values see Time Options.

Examples

To request the position of the Shuttle at 11 a.m. on November 1, 2007:

Position */Satellite/Shuttle "1 Nov 2007 11:00:00.00"

Return message

Position data is returned as eighteen real numbers for a vehicle's position:
41.399640 -133.084782 794311.942615 -0.058698 -0.019789 -0.009113 -3679875.201967 -3934494.574169 4721101.964499 -4651.634203 -2249.571811 -5500.487308 209647.157899 5382855.310768 4721382.169232 1656.434698 4759.542793 -5499.914240

For vehicles, the first six numbers represent position/velocity as latitude, longitude, altitude, rate of latitude change, rate of longitude change and rate of altitude change.

The next six numbers are ECF position/velocity vectors (Cartesian x, y, z).

The last six are position and velocity vectors returned in the default inertial frame for the central body (ICRF for Earth).

Latitude and Longitude values are returned in degrees. Other values are returned using the Connect distance unit. (See SetUnits command.)

Group membership

This command belongs to the following group(s):

Vehicles

Version

10