Corrections on repeating ground-track orbits and their applications in satellite constellation design

Abstract

The aim of the constellation design model shown in this paper is to generate constellations whose satellites share the same ground-track in a given time, making all the satellites pass over the same points of the Earth surface. The model takes into account a series of orbital perturbations such as the gravitational potential of the Earth, the atmospheric drag, the Sun and the Moon as disturbing third bodies or the solar radiation pressure. It also includes a new numerical method that improves the repeating ground-track property of any given satellite subjected to these perturbations. Moreover, the whole model allows to design constellations with multiple tracks that can be distributed in a minimum number of inertial orbits

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