Study on relative orbital configuration in satellite formation flying  

作　　者：JunfengLi XinMeng YunfengGao XiangLi 

机构地区：[1]DepartmentofEngineeringMechanics,TsinghuaUniversity,Beijing100084,China

出　　处：《Acta Mechanica Sinica》2005年第1期87-94,共8页力学学报（英文版）

基　　金：The project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(10202008);Specialized Research Fund for the Doctoral Program of Higher Education(20020003024)

摘　　要：In this paper, the relative orbital configurations of satellites in formation flying with non-perturbation and J<SUB>2</SUB> perturbation are studied, and an orbital elements method is proposed to obtain the relative orbital configurations of satellites in formation. Firstly, under the condition of non-perturbation, we obtain many shapes of relative orbital configurations when the semi-major axes of satellites are equal. These shapes can be lines, ellipses or distorted closed curves. Secondly, on the basis of the analysis of J<SUB>2</SUB> effect on relative orbital configurations, we find out that J<SUB>2</SUB> effect can induce two kinds of changes of relative orbital configurations. They are distortion and drifting, respectively. In addition, when J<SUB>2</SUB> perturbation is concerned, we also find that the semi-major axes of the leading and following satellites should not be the same exactly in order to decrease the J<SUB>2</SUB> effect. The relationship of relative orbital elements and J<SUB>2</SUB> effect is obtained through simulations. Finally, the minimum relation perturbation conditions are established in order to reduce the influence of the J<SUB>2</SUB> effect. The results show that the minimum relation perturbation conditions can reduce the J<SUB>2</SUB> effect significantly when the orbital element differences are small enough, and they can become rules for the design of satellite formation flying.In this paper, the relative orbital configurations of satellites in formation flying with non-perturbation and J<SUB>2</SUB> perturbation are studied, and an orbital elements method is proposed to obtain the relative orbital configurations of satellites in formation. Firstly, under the condition of non-perturbation, we obtain many shapes of relative orbital configurations when the semi-major axes of satellites are equal. These shapes can be lines, ellipses or distorted closed curves. Secondly, on the basis of the analysis of J<SUB>2</SUB> effect on relative orbital configurations, we find out that J<SUB>2</SUB> effect can induce two kinds of changes of relative orbital configurations. They are distortion and drifting, respectively. In addition, when J<SUB>2</SUB> perturbation is concerned, we also find that the semi-major axes of the leading and following satellites should not be the same exactly in order to decrease the J<SUB>2</SUB> effect. The relationship of relative orbital elements and J<SUB>2</SUB> effect is obtained through simulations. Finally, the minimum relation perturbation conditions are established in order to reduce the influence of the J<SUB>2</SUB> effect. The results show that the minimum relation perturbation conditions can reduce the J<SUB>2</SUB> effect significantly when the orbital element differences are small enough, and they can become rules for the design of satellite formation flying.

关 键 词：Satellite formation flying Orbital element Relative orbital configuration SIMULATION PERTURBATION 

分 类 号：V412.41[航空宇航科学与技术—航空宇航推进理论与工程] P133[天文地球—天体力学]