MISSION ANALYSIS AND ORBIT CONTROL STRATEGY FOR A SPACE MISSION ON A POLAR TUNDRA ORBIT

摘要

In this paper a Polar Tundra Orbit is investigated for a space mission aiming at improving weather monitoringand forecasting for the North Pole and Canada. Specific requirements are given in terms of satellite operationlifetime, satellite-bus class, desired coverage of particular latitudes and observation sensor aperture. Orbit design isperformed so to identify the set of orbital parameters which satisfy the requirements and, at the same time, limit thepropellant consumption required for station keeping maneuvers. Orbit design effectiveness is investigated by meansof numerical simulations and comparison with a traditional Tundra orbit. It is also showed that with a particularselection of the initial values of the perigee argument and of the right ascension of the ascending node it is possibleto limit the orbit correction to in-plane maneuvers with a reduced propellant consumption.