Deployment/Stationkeeping Dynamics of N Body Orbiting Sat Constellation

The trend to develop small, low-cost spacecraft has led many to recognize the advantage of flying multiple spacecraft in formation to achieve the correlated instrument measurements formerly possible only by flying many instruments on a single, large platform. This book explores the techniques for station keeping an orbiting constellation of satellites in an elliptical orbit after the initial deployment is developed. Constellation station keeping were investigated by: implementing various propulsive maneuvers at different times based on Lagranges planetary equations for impulsive perturbations; a combination of propulsive strategies that deliberately shifted the line of apsides and LQR fb employing the Tschauner and Hempel equations. Analyses for deploying are developed and evaluated based on: non-linear two point boundary value problem via Pontryagins Prin; numerical techniques using the shooting method; optimal thrust in near min and min time. This book sheds light on recent advances in the field of astronautical sciences and should prove useful for the practicing professional or for conducting research in spaceflight mechanics. MATLAB programs included.