In 1972, the Triad satellite, designed by the Applied Physics Laboratory with the assistance of Stanford University, fully demonstrated the operability and practicality of the drag-free satellite subsystem called DISCOS (disturbance compensation system). This system provided control propulsion to precisely counteract the effects of drag and radiation pressure, resulting in a pure ballistic trajectory. The use of such a system has not been seriously contemplated at extremely low altitudes because of the very large propellant requirements. The advent of the Space Shuttle (which is ideally suited to launching extremely heavy satellites to a very low altitude orbit) makes the use of DISCOS in extremely low altitude orbits economically attractive. Such extremely low altitude orbits both for single satellites and a pair of satellites can be used for many applications and science missions.


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    Title :

    Very Low Altitude Drag-Free Satellites


    Contributors:

    Publication date :

    1979


    Size :

    25 pages


    Type of media :

    Report


    Type of material :

    No indication


    Language :

    English





    Formations of Drag-Free Satellites

    Theil, S. / From, M. / Pettazzi, L. et al. | AIAA | 2005