Apogee manoeuvre strategies for the Inmarsat-2 spacecraft
Abstract
Several methods are employed to calculate orbital corrections that are needed to analyze the mission and operations of the Inmarsat-2 spacecraft. Particular attention is given to the inclined drift orbit for the final apogee engine firing and the apogee bias of the Delta II transfer orbit. The optimal switching conditions are solved in the preliminary phases of the mission analysis to determine the transfer cost. This allowed the determination of the domain of validity of the simplified nodal transfer for a given orbital configuration. A strategy for the apogee engine firing is determined for Delta II launchers with consideration given to the orbital inclination, node shifts, and loss of potential drift. The method is extended to scenarios involving Ariane launchers showing that optimal transfers can be used to determine the maximum possible drift for the plane of Inmarsat-2 within its inclination constraint.
- Publication:
-
Astrodynamics 1991
- Pub Date:
- August 1992
- Bibcode:
- 1992asdy.conf..161C
- Keywords:
-
- Communication Satellites;
- Orbit Calculation;
- Orbit Insertion;
- Spacecraft Maneuvers;
- Apogee Boost Motors;
- Apogees;
- Mission Planning;
- Spin Stabilization;
- Synchronous Satellites;
- Astrodynamics