In a recent study of potential applications for electric propulsion, it was determined that ion propulsion can provide North-South stationkeeping (NSSK) for communication satellites in geosynchronous orbit with appreciably less mass than chemical propulsion. While this finding is not new, the margin of benefit over advanced chemical propulsion technology depends strongly on the ion propulsion system specifications. Full advantage must be taken of the under-utilized stored energy available from the communication satellite's batteries. This paper describes a methodology for evaluating the benefits obtained in using ion propulsion for NSSK, both in terms of the mass reduction and its economic value.
Ion propulsion for communications satellites
International Electric Propulsion Conference ; 1984 ; Tokyo, Japan
1984-01-01
Conference paper
No indication
English
.Propulsion Requirements for Communications Satellites
AIAA | 1974
|Propulsion requirements for communications satellites.
NTRS | 1972
|Electric propulsion for communications satellites
NTRS | 1978
|Electric propulsion for communications satellites
AIAA | 1978
|Ion Propulsion for Communications Satellites
AIAA | 1977
|