Mission Design Considerations for the Tundra Constellation
Abstract
The geostationary orbit belt has become highly populated with communication satellites, making frequency allocations more challenging to obtain. An innovative solution to this problem may be provided by the recently proposed Tundra orbit constellation. The Tundra constellation uses three or more spacecraft in inclined geosynchronous orbits. The needed terrestrial coverage is obtained by proper orientation of each orbit relative to the constellation and by proper phasing of each satellite within its orbit. The nominal orbit design for the constellation should minimize any negative perturbation effects in order to provide affordable stationkeeping costs. This study describes an initial examination of the Tundra constellation given basic constraints. Mission design elements are first considered followed by a discussion of stationkeeping issues. Perturbation effects from thirdbody and geopotential sources are quantified and used to select nominal orbits that will provide the needed coverage and that can be maintained within reasonable fuel budgets. © 2002 by the author(s).
Recommended Citation
M. J. Bruno and H. J. Pernicka, "Mission Design Considerations for the Tundra Constellation," Proceedings of the AIAA/AAS Astrodynamics Specialist Conference and Exhibit (2002, Monterey, CA), American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), Aug 2002.
The definitive version is available at https://doi.org/10.2514/6.2002-4634
Meeting Name
AIAA/AAS Astrodynamics Specialist Conference and Exhibit (2002: Aug. 5-8, Monterey, CA)
Department(s)
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Document Type
Article - Conference proceedings
Document Version
Citation
File Type
text
Language(s)
English
Rights
© 2002 American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), All rights reserved.
Publication Date
08 Aug 2002
