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Formation dynamics in geostationary ring

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Abstract

A relative motion model for a satellite formation composed of two Earth-orbiting spacecraft located in the geostationary ring is developed taking into account major gravitational and non-gravitational forces. A previously existing model featuring perturbation due to \(J_2\) is enhanced by the perturbations due to solar radiation pressure arising from unequal area-to-mass ratios, as well as the secular and long-periodic gravitational perturbations due to the Sun and the Moon. The extended relative motion model is validated using several typical formation geometries against a reference generated by numerical integration of the absolute orbits of the two spacecraft. The results of this work can find application in future on-orbit servicing and formation flying missions in near-geostationary orbit.

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Acknowledgments

The author is grateful to Dr. R. Kahle for the many helpful discussions, as well as to Dr. G. Gaias for the valuable suggestions that improved the quality of the paper. The author also thanks the anonymous reviewers for the careful reading of the paper and insightful comments.

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  1. DLR/GSOC, Münchener Str. 20, 82234, Weßling, Germany

    Sofya Spiridonova

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  1. Sofya Spiridonova
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Correspondence to Sofya Spiridonova.

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Spiridonova, S. Formation dynamics in geostationary ring. Celest Mech Dyn Astr 125, 485–500 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10569-016-9693-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10569-016-9693-0

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