Controlling stationary satellite orbits minimum fuel consumption rate

A method is developed for calculating the minimum fuel consumption rate to maintain the orbital inclination and ascending node of a geostationary satellite near the values of the upper limit and of the minimum external disturbance of the orbit, respectively. The key to the method is that the required fuel consumption is proportional to the angular displacement of the orbital angular velocity. Solar radiation effects are ignored. The method is effective when the satellite is long-lived and zero-momentum three-axis stabilized and when the satellite antenna is steered to the ground station.