Constellation Design and Low-Thrust Station-Keeping Strategy for Satellites in Inclined Geosynchronous Orbits

Abstract

Small constellations of satellites in Inclined Geosynchronous Orbits (IGSO) provide an alternative to the increasingly crowded Geostationary Equatorial Orbit (GEO) belt. Satellite platforms equipped with electric propulsion systems increase in popularity since they broaden the mission design opportunities due to the potentially significant propellant savings. This work focuses on low-thrust IGSO constellation design and station-keeping strategies. An analytical procedure based on a Hamiltonian formulation with respect to the ecliptic plane is used for the selection of suitable frozen orbits. Considering appropriate dynamical modelling, the low-thrust station-keeping problem is transformed into a Two Point Boundary Value Problem (TPBVP), which is then solved by an impulsive-solution-based initial costate guess.