N-hour repeating equatorial orbit: a new method for remote sensing satellites

Yuchen Bai; Huan Yin; Zhaoguang Bai; Sizhou Dong; Han Gao

doi:10.1117/12.2587681

12 March 2021 N-hour repeating equatorial orbit: a new method for remote sensing satellites

Yuchen Bai, Huan Yin, Zhaoguang Bai, Sizhou Dong, Han Gao

Proceedings Volume 11763, Seventh Symposium on Novel Photoelectronic Detection Technology and Applications; 117639B (2021) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2587681
Event: Seventh Symposium on Novel Photoelectronic Detection Technology and Application 2020, 2020, Kunming, China

Abstract

Sun-synchronous orbit (SSO) has a characteristic that passes the given target area at the same local mean solar time, and is commonly used by remote sensing satellites. The ground track of these satellites could repeat precisely, by applying specific design methods. However, the revisit time of a single SSO remote sensing satellite could be greater than one day, and hard to achieve continuous Earth observation, especially for low latitudes. The N-hour repeating equatorial orbit introduced in this paper is a new concept medium Earth orbit (MEO) for remote sensing satellites, which can realize several revisits in one day, and same local time revisits on different days for a designated target at low latitudes. In this paper, the inertial period definition of equatorial satellites is clearly defined and calculated, the design of prograde and retrograde repeating equatorial orbits is given and analyzed theoretically and numerically. The longitude coverage features of equatorial satellites are also evaluated.

Citation Download Citation

Yuchen Bai, Huan Yin, Zhaoguang Bai, Sizhou Dong, and Han Gao "N-hour repeating equatorial orbit: a new method for remote sensing satellites", Proc. SPIE 11763, Seventh Symposium on Novel Photoelectronic Detection Technology and Applications, 117639B (12 March 2021); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2587681

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