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US 12,454,370 B2Granted
Satellite constellation maintaining method, satellite constellation, orbital dropping method, and artificial satellite
AssigneeMitsubishi Electric Corporation
InventorHisayuki Mukae
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
When a deorbiting satellite, which is one of artificial satellites belonging to a first satellite constellation, deorbits and drops from an orbit of a first orbital altitude zone, a second satellite constellation widens a relative angle of any adjacent two orbital planes of a plurality of orbital planes and thereby allocates a free orbit area in a second orbital altitude zone. The deorbiting satellite passes through the free orbit area of the second orbital altitude zone.
Claims20
A satellite constellation maintaining method, comprising:
- operating a first satellite constellation having a plurality of artificial satellite groups in a first orbital altitude zone;
- operating a second satellite constellation in a second orbital altitude zone lower than the first orbital altitude zone, the second satellite constellation forming a plurality of orbital planes;
- deorbiting and dropping a deorbiting satellite from an orbit of the first orbital altitude zone while the second satellite constellation widens a relative angle of adjacent first and second orbital planes of the plurality of orbital planes in a deorbiting path of the deorbiting satellite and narrows other orbital planes of the plurality of orbital planes to allocate a free orbit area in the second orbital altitude zone, the deorbiting satellite being one of artificial satellites belonging to the first satellite constellation;
- causing the deorbiting satellite to pass through the free orbit area of the second orbital altitude zone;
- inserting a succeeding satellite to the orbit of the first orbital altitude zone, the succeeding satellite is an artificial satellite serving as a replacement of the deorbiting satellite;
- and then
- returning the second satellite constellation to an original orbital altitude of each orbital plane to an original position.
4 more elements
An orbital dropping method, comprising:
- operating a first satellite constellation having a plurality of artificial satellite groups in a first orbital altitude zone;
- operating a second satellite constellation in a second orbital altitude zone lower than the first orbital altitude zone, the second satellite constellation forming a plurality of orbital planes;
- deorbiting and dropping a deorbiting satellite from an orbit of the first orbital altitude zone while the second satellite constellation widens a relative angle of adjacent first and second orbital planes of the plurality of orbital planes in a deorbiting path of the deorbiting satellite and narrows other orbital planes of the plurality of orbital planes to allocate a free orbit area in the second orbital altitude zone, the deorbiting satellite being one of artificial satellites belonging to the first satellite constellation;
- and
- causing the deorbiting satellite to pass through the free orbit area of the second orbital altitude zone.
2 more elements
A satellite constellation system comprising:
- a first satellite constellation having a plurality of artificial satellite groups in a first orbital altitude zone;
- and
- a second satellite constellation in a second orbital altitude zone lower than the first orbital altitude zone, the second satellite constellation forming a plurality of orbital planes, wherein
- when a deorbiting satellite deorbits and drops from an orbit of the first orbital altitude zone, the second satellite constellation widens a relative angle of adjacent first and second orbital planes of the plurality of orbital planes in a deorbiting path of the deorbiting satellite and narrows other orbital planes of the plurality of orbital planes to allocate a free orbit area in the second orbital altitude zone, the deorbiting satellite being one of artificial satellites belonging to the first satellite constellation, and
- the deorbiting satellite passes through the free orbit area of the second orbital altitude zone.
2 more elements
A satellite constellation, wherein
- the satellite constellation is operated in a second orbital altitude zone lower than a first orbital altitude zone where another satellite constellation is operated, and forms a plurality of orbital planes, and
- when a deorbiting satellite, which is one of artificial satellites belonging to the another satellite constellation, deorbits and drops from an orbit of the first orbital altitude zone, the satellite constellation widens a relative angle of adjacent first and second orbital planes of the plurality of orbital planes in a deorbiting path of the deorbiting satellite and narrows other orbital planes of the plurality of orbital planes to allocate, in the second orbital altitude zone, a free orbit area for the deorbiting satellite to pass through.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.