Ground facility
AssigneeMitsubishi Electric Corporation
InventorHisayuki MUKAE
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A satellite constellation forming system forms a satellite constellation which is composed of a satellite group and in which the satellite group cooperatively provides a service. The satellite constellation has a plurality of orbital planes in each of which a plurality of satellites fly at the same nominal orbital altitude. A satellite constellation forming unit continues providing the service while avoiding a collision between satellites by both or one of control of an orbital altitude and control of a passage timing of a satellite group flying in a region where the plurality of orbital planes intersect.
Claims1
A ground facility comprising a communication device to transmit and receive signals for tracking and controlling a satellite in a satellite constellation, and processing circuitry to transmit an orbit control command, and predict an orbit through which the satellite after receiving a deorbit command will pass, the ground facility transmitting the orbit control command to cause the satellite that has reached an end of design life to deorbit by operating a propulsion device included in the satellite,
- wherein when it has been determined by the processing circuitry that the satellite will pass through an orbital plane of the satellite constellation, the processing circuitry transmits the orbit control command to perform a collision avoidance operation during orbital descent to avoid a risk of collision by shifting a congested orbit passage timing or an orbital plane by raising or lowering an orbital altitude by increasing or decreasing a satellite velocity by an orbit control device included in the satellite, or changing an orbital inclination by applying acceleration in an out-of-plane direction of the orbital plane by a jet from a propulsor in a direction approximately orthogonal to a satellite traveling direction.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.