Tundra Constellation Design and Station Keeping
Abstract
Constellations of satellites in Tundra orbits provide an innovative alternative to the increasingly crowded geostationary orbit belt. The Tundra constellation uses three or more spacecraft in inclined geosynchronous orbits. The nominal orbit design for the constellation must minimize any undesirable perturbation effects to provide affordable stationkeeping cost. We describe a study of the Tundra orbit regime and design of constellations given a sample set of basic constraints. Frozen and partially frozen orbits are then sought from which to construct constellations allowing for reduced stationkeeping requirements. Perturbation effects from third-body and geopotential sources are quantified and used to select orbits that will provide the needed coverage while providing a reasonable propellant budget.
Recommended Citation
H. J. Pernicka and M. J. Bruno, "Tundra Constellation Design and Station Keeping," Journal of Spacecraft and Rockets, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), Jan 2005.
Department(s)
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Keywords and Phrases
Satellite Orbit
International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)
0022-4650
Document Type
Article - Journal
Document Version
Citation
File Type
text
Language(s)
English
Rights
© 2005 American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), All rights reserved.
Publication Date
01 Jan 2005
