Exploitation of new maneuvering algorithms as well as orbital dynamics opens up new opportunities for aperture synthesis using distributed satellite systems (DSS). This paper discusses such designs as applied to aperture synthesis for visible Earth surveillance systems placed at geosynchronous Earth orbit. In all of these designs, free orbits are used to the extent possible in order to allow the satellites to most completely yet efficiently sweep out the image plane (u-v coverage), to instantaneously provide full coverage, and to also maintain constellation orientation. In particular, an innovative orbit design that exploits the properties of all the conic sections is presented. It is concluded that the propellant requirement for an Earth imager system is rather small compared to the system’s dry mass. Should the contribution of the propellant mass become significant, it only makes sense to employ free orbits to the maximum extent possible.


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    Title :

    Exploiting Orbital Dynamics for Aperture Synthesis Using Distributed Satellite Systems: Applications to a Visible Earth Imager System


    Additional title:

    J of Astronaut Sci


    Contributors:

    Published in:

    Publication date :

    1999-03-01


    Size :

    23 pages




    Type of media :

    Article (Journal)


    Type of material :

    Electronic Resource


    Language :

    English