Responsiveness in Low Orbits Using Electric Propulsion

Co, Thomas C.; Black, Jonathan

doi:10.2514/1.a32405

Cited by 30 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 4 publications

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“…Many studies have focused on fulfilling missions by maneuvering existing low-Earth-orbit (LEO) satellites. 4–14 Slight corrective maneuvers can be employed to alter a ground track pattern into another to satisfy several objectives in the course of the same mission. 4 The effects of an in-plane maneuver on any point of the ground track for near-circular orbits were analyzed, which could be required by responsive surveillance missions, in Zhang et al.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…5 A low-thrust orbit maneuver was used as an effective means to achieve responsive terrestrial coverage. 6–11 The Lorentz force, a type of propellantless force, was adopted to drive an on-orbit satellite to gradually change its orbit and provide new coverage in Pollock et al. 6 In particular, electric propulsion (EP) was used as a means of maneuvering in.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Adjusting the ground tracks of LEO satellites to arrive over a terrestrial target has been studied extensively in recent years. 7–14 Newberry 7 concluded that continuous thrusting with an EP engine over a period of 7 days will yield a 24 h time-over-target change, which equals global reach. However, his finding was based on a specific orbit that is highly elliptical and that revisits the Earth twice a day.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Co et al. 11 extended their research by proposing a control algorithm that could compute the thrust-coast maneuver for an overflight of any terrestrial target within the coverage area of a single LEO satellite. They provided a simulation case, in which the response time of any overflight within the coverage area was as short as 2.75 days.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Constellation design for responsive visiting based on ground track adjustment

Xiang

Liu

Chen

2017

Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part G:

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Many responsive civilian or military space missions require that a certain ground site of interest be visited in a fairly short period (e.g., 12 h or less). To this end, a constellation must be utilized, since a single satellite is usually unable to fulfill such a task if the ground site is selected on the whole terrestrial surface responding to random user requirements. In this paper, the design approaches of such a constellation for responsive visiting based on ground track adjustment are investigated. By using the difference in orbit period between the maneuvered satellite and the reference satellite to make the ground track shift, reachable domain belts are generated. In terms of orbit maneuvering, two-and one-impulse maneuvers are analyzed and compared. Based on the reachable domain belts of a single satellite, two constellation design methods are proposed. The first one is an analytical method which is presented to achieve global reach and implemented by uniformly splicing together the widest belts of all satellites within the range of [0 , 180 ]. The second one is an optimized method proposed to further reduce the number of satellites, by splicing together all the reachable domain belts rather than only the widest belts in the equator. A hybrid algorithm that consists of the genetic algorithm and the pattern search algorithm is proposed to minimize the number of satellites. Numerical examples are provided to illustrate the two proposed constellation design methods and validate the global reach performance.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Constellation design for responsive visiting based on ground track adjustment

Xiang

Liu

Chen

2017

Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part G:

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“…Optimal trajectories for interplanetary travel to asteroid swarms have been investigated considering energy dynamics for low-thrust systems [24]. Recent work has demonstrated the applicability of electric propulsion solutions for operational responsiveness in LEO and provided global reach requirements and optimal time and propellant solutions as well as testing out five other advanced technologies [25].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Optimization of CubeSat System-Level Design and Propulsion Systems for Earth-Escape Missions

Spangelo

Longmier

2015

Journal of Spacecraft and Rockets

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Small spacecraft can now perform trajectory maneuvers resulting in significant orbit changes that were once only feasible with larger spacecraft due to the development of miniaturized propulsion technology. This paper addresses the feasibility of using CubeSat Ambipolar Thruster, a large ΔV miniaturized propulsion system for constellation control, Earth escape, and planetary flybys, to enable Earth-escape maneuvers on a CubeSat form factor. Operational and trajectory variables include the power setting during thrust maneuvers, when to thrust, and the attitude control inputs. The dynamic energy available through the maneuvers, which is constrained by the power available from the sun depending on the orbit and is consumed in propulsion, is modeled as well as attitude control maneuvers and realistic battery degradation. To explore the design space of this capability, the sensitivity of solutions to spacecraft mass, fuel quantity, initial orbit, solar power collection, and battery size is demonstrated. Optimal orbit-raising techniques are compared and the optimal approach depending on the goals is discussed (i.e., minimize time, minimize fuel, minimize batteries, minimize propulsion system volume, and minimize accumulated radiation). The models and results presented lay the groundwork for future work in integrated vehicle and operational design optimization problems with both interplanetary and constellation architectures.

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