Satellite communications availability - launch scheduling
Abstract
This report considers the scheduling of periodic launches of communications satellites in order to maintain a required level of system availability. Since satellite lifetimes can be described only statistically, availability is described by the probability of having at least A satellites operating in orbit as a function of time. The behavior of this probability is calculated for variations in launch rate (satellites per year), multiplicity of launch (satellites per launch vehicle), and satellite failure model. The transient in availability at the introduction of a satellite system is seen clearly in the data curves. The data in this report can be used to choose a launch strategy which meets specified availability requirements and minimizes the number of satellites that must be procured and launched over a program lifetime.
- Publication:
-
NASA STI/Recon Technical Report N
- Pub Date:
- November 1975
- Bibcode:
- 1975STIN...7625309N
- Keywords:
-
- Communication Satellites;
- Scheduling;
- Spacecraft Launching;
- Probability Density Functions;
- Random Variables;
- Satellite Lifetime;
- Launch Vehicles and Space Vehicles