Ionospheric Gas Dynamics of Satellites

The gas dynamics of interactions of a tenuous ionosphere with movihg satellites and probes that have bearings on the diagnostics of the ionosphere are discussed. Emphasis is on the cases where the body is moving at mesothermal speeds, namely intermediate between the thermal speeds of ions and electrons of the ambient ionosphere. Methods of collision-free plasma kinetics with self-consistent field are used. The development of the topics for discussion starts with stationary Langmuir probe which entails the basic mechanism of body-plasma interaction that becomes furt her intricated as the body moves at a higher and higher speed. Applications of the theory of plasma interaction to meteors which move in the ionosphere are also presented.