Constellation Design For Earth Periodic Coverage In Low Orbits With Minimal Satellite Swath
- Paper number
IAC-07-C1.7.09
- Author
Prof. Yury Razoumny, Russia
- Coauthor
Mr. Vladimir Razoumny, Moscow State Technical University named Bauman, Russia
- Year
2007
- Abstract
Were satellite coverage (global or partial) of the Earth’s surface is necessary, continuous coverage may not be justified by the purpose of the orbital constellation and may not be mandatory. Whereas providing of continuous coverage is connected with using of rather big number of satellites, using of non-continuous (periodic) coverage is direct way of minimizing of necessary number of satellites and, therefore, decreasing of the costs for satellites launching. Design of satellite networks providing periodic coverage is becoming more important as low-altitude constellations consisted of few satellites receive increased attention. The problem of periodic coverage is most essential for satellite altitudes below approximately 10000 km depending on number of satellites in the constellation and satellite sensor (satellite swath) limitations. The traditional criterion of the quality of the satellite constellations for periodic coverage is revisit time, calculated on the assumption that the value of satellite swath is a priori given and fixed. In overwhelming majority of cases the fixed value of revisit time could be obtained using not only one fixed value of satellite swath but the range of such values (other conditions to be the same) while low-cost observations from space are provided having minimal swath (minimal satellite sensor limitations). So the problem of minimization of the satellite swath for fixed value of revisit time is important. The description of this common problem as a mathematical sum as well as its solving for coverage of a given Earth latitude belt under fixed parameters of circular low Earth orbits (altitude and inclination) are presented in the paper. The optimal inclination for Earth coverage with minimal satellite swath is revealed. Different possible combinations of satellite orbit parameters and Earth coverage characteristics are reduced to some typical cases which are theoretically described and illustrated by numerical data. The comparison of the suggested method and well-known methods for Earth observation from space with minimal swath is represented.
- Abstract document
- Manuscript document
IAC-07-C1.7.09.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).
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