Medium earth orbit constellation with simple satellite network topology

• US 8,800,932 B2
• Filed: 07/26/2010
• Issued: 08/12/2014
• 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: Schachter, Joshua, Liu, Xiangdong
• Primary Examiner(s): Xavier, Valentina
• Application Number:
  US12/843,417
• Publication Number:
  US 20120018585A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,478 Days
• Field of Search: 244/158.4, 244/158.R, 701/531, 455/3.05, 455/426.1, 455/517
• US Class Current: 244/158.4
• 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 substantially constant communication link directly between a member satellite of a medium earth orbit centric satellite constellation and a partner satellite of the medium earth orbit centric satellite constellation via an inter-satellite link 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 consists of 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 comprising:

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

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

linking the member satellite directly 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 comprising:

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 directly from the member satellite 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 substantially constant communication link directly 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 consists of 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 directly 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 directly 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 comprising:

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

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

maintaining a substantially constant communication link directly between a member satellite of a medium earth orbit centric satellite constellation and a partner satellite of the medium earth orbit centric satellite constellation via an inter-satellite link in regular, wraparound symmetric, spatially dimensional network; and

establishing a terrestrial link to a ground terminal.

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

19. The non-transitory tangible machine-readable medium of claim 17, the method further comprising:

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

20. The non-transitory 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.