Method of navigating a spinning, artificial satellite and controlling the global, terrestrial surveillance coverage thereof

A method of controlling inertial attitude of an artificial satellite, the artificial satellite having a spin axis, a star track sensor, and a navigation data device, in order to perform a navigation function and to maximize terrestrial coverage of the Earth by said artificial satellite, the method comprising:

• deploying the artificial satellite in an orbit about the poles of the Earth;
• applying gyroscopic precession to the artificial satellite spin axis to precess and maintain said satellite near the ecliptic pole in inertial space;
• deploying the artificial satellite so that the spin axis is initially perpendicular to or substantially perpendicular to sun lines;
• and
• applying gyroscopic precession to the artificial satellite spin axis to precess the spin axis away from an initial deployed attitude at a selectively-variable precession rate and to maintain the spin axis perpendicular to or substantially perpendicular to a said sun lines.