Science Daily January 10, 2020
A team of researchers in the US (Industry, UC Davis, Cornell University) has discovered two alternative 4-satellite constellations with 24- and 48-hour periods, both of which attain nearly continuous global coverage. They harness energy from nonlinear orbital perturbation forces (e.g., Earth’s geopotential, gravitational effects of the sun and moon, and solar radiation pressure) to reduce their propellant and maintenance costs. The 24-hour period constellation reduces the overall required vehicle mass budget for propellant by approximately 60% compared to a geostationary Earth orbit constellation with similar coverage over typical satellite lifetimes. The discovery could drive advances in telecommunication, navigation and remote sensing…read more. Open Access TECHNICAL ARTICLE
Maximum revisit time and minimum elevation angle. Credit: Nature Communications volume 11, Article number: 200 (2020)Â