Conversion Between Osculating and Mean Orbital Elements

Osculating/Mean Orbital Element Conversion (C version) (OSMEANC) is a C-language computer program that performs precise conversions between osculating and mean classical orbital elements. OSMEANC can be used for precise design of spacecraft missions and maneuvers and precise calculation of planetary orbits. The program accounts for the full complexity of gravitational fields, including aspherical and third-body effects. In comparison with prior software used for the same purposes, OSMEANC offers greater accuracy in conversion: By virtue of inclusion of high-order gravitational and third-body effects, variations in semimajor axes are calculated to meter-level accuracy. OSMEANC is delivered as a callable shared library. It can be built for any platform with a C compiler. The user interface is via a Python-language wrapper script that can be replaced by the user. OSMEANC is mature and is the product of a significant upgrade from a Fortran version that has been in use since 1991.