US 5,199,672 A · Method and apparatus for deploying a satellite network

Abstract

The effect of orbit plane precession is used to place a plurality of satellites into one or more desired orbit planes. The satellites are distributed within each desired orbit plane in a selected configuration. The satellites are transported into orbit on one or more frame structures referred to as "pallets". When more than one pallet is used, they are placed on top of each other in a "stack". After the stack of the pallets has been launched into an initial, elliptical orbit, the pallets are separated sequentially from the stack at selected time intervals. Thrust is applied to transfer a first pallet from the initial orbit to a first, circular orbit, wherein the initial and first orbits are in planes that process at different predetermined initial and first rates, respectively. After waiting for a predetermined time while the initial orbit plane and the first orbit plane precess with respect to each other, thrust is applied to the next pallet to transfer it into a next, circular orbit in a next orbit plane, wherein the precession rate of the next orbit plane also is different from the initial precession rate of the initial orbit plane. The foregoing step is repeated until the satellites on the respective pallets have been sequentially deployed into the desired orbit planes. The satellites on each pallet are then separated from the pallet simultaneously, but at different rates to achieve separation among the satellites within each orbit.

Claims36

Dependent claims

A method of deploying a network of a plurality of satellites in a plurality of orbit planes comprising the steps of:

launching the plurality of satellites into an initial orbit having an initial orbit plane;
transferring a first satellite from the initial orbit into a first orbit having a first orbit plane, wherein the initial and first orbit planes process at a predetermined initial and first rates, respectively, said initial and first rates being different by a first difference rate;
transferring a next satellite from the initial orbit into a next orbit having a next orbit plane after waiting a first time period selected based on the first difference rate, wherein the initial and next orbit planes precess at the initial rate and a predetermined next rate, respectively, said initial and next rates being different by a next difference rate;
and
repeating the foregoing step after waiting a next time period selected based on the next difference rate, whereby the satellites are sequentially deployed from the initial orbit plane into the plurality of orbit planes.

2 more elements

A method of deploying a plurality of satellites in a plurality of orbit planes comprising the steps of:

mounting at least one of the plurality of satellites on each of a plurality of pallets;
mounting the plurality of pallets in a stack;
launching the stack of pallets into an initial orbit in an initial orbit plane precessing at a predetermined initial precession rate;
separating a first pallet from the stack and applying thrust to transfer the first pallet from the initial orbit to a first orbit in a fist orbit plane precessing at a predetermined first precession rate, the initial and first precession rates not being equal;
separating the at least one satellite mounted on the first pallet from the first pallet;
waiting a predetermined time based upon the difference between the initial and first precession rates and then separating a next pallet from the stack and applying thrust to the next pallet to transfer it to a next orbit in a next orbit plane processing at a predetermined next precession rate, the initial and next precession rates not being equal;
separating the at least one satellite mounted on the next pallet from the next pallet;
and
repeating the foregoing steps of waiting a predetermined time, separating a next pallet from the stack, applying thrust to the next pallet, and separating the at least one satellite from the next pallet until all of the pallets have been separated from the stack and all of the satellites have been separated from the pallets.

6 more elements

Apparatus for deploying a plurality of satellites from an initial orbit into a plurality of orbits comprising:

a plurality of pallet means, at least one of the plurality of satellites being carried by each of said pallet means;
a plurality of kick motor means, one of said kick motor means being carried by and providing thrust for each of said pallet means, wherein each said kick motor means provides thrust in response to a respective thrust command signal;
stack means for securing said plurality of pallet means together in the initial orbit;
a plurality of pallet separation means, one of said pallet separation means being adapted for separating each of said pallet means from said stack means in response to a respective pallet separation command signal;
a plurality of satellite separation means, one of said satellite separation means being carried by each of said pallet means and being adapted for separating from said pallet means said satellites carried by said pallet means in response to a respective satellite separation command signal;
and
control means for providing the pallet separation command signal to each of said pallet separation means, the thrust command signal to each of said kick motor means, and the satellite separation command signal to each of said satellite separation means.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method and apparatus for deploying a satellite network

Life of this patent

Method and apparatus for deploying a satellite network

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims36