MEDIUM EARTH ORBIT CONSTELLATION WITH SIMPLE SATELLITE NETWORK TOPOLOGY

• US 20120018585A1
• Filed: 07/26/2010
• Published: 01/26/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Inventors: LIU, Xiangdong, Schachter, Joshua
• Granted Patent: US 8,800,932 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 244/158.6
• CPC Class Codes: B64G 1/1007 Communications satellites
• CPC Class Codes: B64G 1/1085 Swarms and constellations
• CPC Class Codes: B64G 1/242 Orbits and trajectories
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/195 Non-synchronous stations

Abstract

A method, a member satellite, and a tangible machine-readable medium are disclosed. An inter-satellite link subsystem 472 may maintain a fixed communication link between the member satellite and a partner satellite of the medium earth orbit centric satellite constellation in a regular, wraparound symmetric, spatially dimensional network. A terrestrial linking subsystem 476 may create a terrestrial link to a ground terminal.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

maintaining a fixed communication link between a member satellite of a medium earth orbit centric satellite constellation and a partner satellite of the medium earth orbit centric satellite constellation in a regular, wraparound symmetric, spatially dimensional network; and

establishing a terrestrial link to a ground terminal.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the medium earth orbit centric satellite constellation has sixteen satellites.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the medium earth orbit centric satellite constellation is arranged in a four satellites by four orbital paths constellation.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprises:

linking the member satellite to four partner satellites in the medium earth orbit centric satellite constellation.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprises:

linking the member satellite to six partner satellites in the medium earth orbit centric satellite constellation

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the member satellite is in an orbital path with a 67.5 degree phase offset from an adjacent orbital path.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprises:

adjusting a position of the member satellite to maintain the 67.5 degree offset.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending an alert to the partner satellite of a handover of the terrestrial link.

9. A member satellite of a medium earth orbit centric satellite constellation, comprising:

an inter-satellite link subsystem that maintains a fixed communication link between the member satellite and a partner satellite of the medium earth orbit centric satellite constellation in a regular, wraparound symmetric, spatially dimensional network; and

a terrestrial linking subsystem that establishes a terrestrial link to a ground terminal.

10. The member satellite of claim 9, wherein the medium earth orbit centric satellite constellation has sixteen satellites.

11. The member satellite of claim 10, wherein the medium earth orbit centric satellite constellation is arranged in a four satellites by four orbital paths constellation.

12. The member satellite of claim 9, wherein the inter-satellite link subsystem links the member satellite to four partner satellites in the medium earth orbit centric satellite constellation.

13. The member satellite of claim 9, wherein the inter-satellite link subsystem links the member satellite to six partner satellites in the medium earth orbit centric satellite constellation

14. The member satellite of claim 9, wherein the member satellite is in a 56 degree inclined orbital path.

15. The member satellite of claim 14, further comprises:

an altitude and orbital control subsystem that adjusts a trajectory of the member satellite to maintain the 56 degree inclined orbital path.

16. The member satellite of claim 9, wherein the inter-satellite link subsystem may send an alert the partner satellite of a handover of the terrestrial link.

17. A tangible machine-readable medium having a set of instructions detailing a method stored thereon that when executed by one or more processors cause the one or more processors to perform the method, the method comprising:

maintaining a fixed communication link between a member satellite of a medium earth orbit centric satellite constellation and a partner satellite of the medium earth orbit centric satellite constellation in regular, wraparound symmetric, spatially dimensional network; and

establishing a terrestrial link to a ground terminal.

18. The tangible machine-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the medium earth orbit centric satellite constellation is arranged in four satellites by four orbital paths.

19. The tangible machine-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the method further comprises:

linking the member satellite to four partner satellites in the medium earth orbit centric satellite constellation.

20. The tangible machine-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the member satellite is in a 56 degree inclined orbital path with a 67.5 degree phase offset from an adjacent orbital path.