EXACT DESIGN OF PARTIAL COVERAGE SATELLITE CONSTELLATIONS OVER OBLATEEARTH

The developed algorithm of computational satellite visibility periods over an oblate Earth is used to construct the time line. Based on the time line the design of the partial coverage satellite constellation c an be obtained exactly. The criterion for choosing the best constellat ion is to minimize the number of satellites with the smallest value of inclination to meet the gap requirement. The method constructs the ti me lines exactly and then obtains the precise satellite constellations for the time gap requirements. The developed C++ computer program can find the mast efficient arrangement of the satellites in constellatio ns and the optimal value of inclination in less than 10 min on a Penti um-based personal computer.