ORBIT PLANE CONTROL STRATEGIES FOR INCLINED GEOSYNCHRONOUS SATELLITE CONSTELLATION

The dynamics and control of the motion of the orbit planes of a conste llation of five satellites in inclined geosynchronous orbits are analy zed. Orbit maintenance strategies that confine each individual orbit i nclination within a predefined tolerance deadband are designed using f ast analytic orbit prediction approximations, as well as more exacting numerically integrated solutions. The initial orbit inclination of ea ch satellite is chosen optimally within the tolerance band such that e ach satellite orbit remains confined within the limits of the band for the longest possible time before an inclination adjust maneuver is ca rried out. The total Delta V required by each satellite over the const ellation lifetime is, thus, rapidly determined, and the ideal initial nodes of the initially evenly spaced orbit planes that result in the m inimum total Delta V accumulated by all five satellites are establishe d. This total Delta V is also shown to be dependent on tile ecliptic n ode of the lunar orbit within its 18.6-year regression cycle, A more e laborate scheme that maintains the orbit planes evenly spaced at the e quator by controlling each satellite node is also depicted analyticall y, to optimize the initial nodal configuration that minimizes the tota l accumulated Delta V of all five satellites over tile constellation l ifetime.