Abstract

Many of today's gravity theories predict the existence of a non-Newtonian Yukawa-type correction to the gravitational potential. New experimental techniques, such as Sagnac interferometry, can help in exploring the range Lamda > 10¹⁴, where such forces are possibly measurable. It is expected that future space missions will operate in this range which has not been examined for a very long time. Restricting ourselves to an Earth orbiting satellite we follow a perturbing potential approach applied on the Lagrange planetary equations, in order to study the effect of such a non-Newtonian potential in the range Lamda=1.073 R. This is achieved by calculating the time rates of change of the orbital elements for the earth orbiting satellite GRACE-A. All these time rates have been calculated on the Keplerian and the precessing Keplerian ellipse of the body under study. Of all the orbital elements, the argument of the perigee is most affected by this potential.