Geometric Analysis of Ground-Target Coverage from a Satellite by Field-Mapping Method

Abstract

This paper proposes an analytical calculation method of the ground point visibility from a satellite in a circular orbit for an arbitrary sensor field considering the perturbation based on the geometric analysis of the sensor, satellite, and ground-point target. First, to describe an arbitrary field of view accurately, the concept of the field-element vector is introduced to parameterize the field discretely. Also, based on the geometric projection, the field-element equations related to the satellite orbit, field parameters, and ground point, which can be solved analytically, are derived. Furthermore, using a two-dimensional map composed of the argument of latitude and ascending node, the problem of calculating visible intervals is transformed into the intersection problem of a group of parallel lines and single or double regions generated by the field of view and the target ground point, which can be solved rapidly. The proposed method is verified by simulations considering different types of sensor fields. The simulation results show that the proposed method is rapid, efficient, intuitive, and accurate, which makes it be suitable for different types of fields and have wide application prospects.