Study on the Suitability of a European Data Relay Satellite to Support a System of Remote Sensing Satellites

摘要

The role of a data relay satellite (DRS) for advanced remote sensing satellite systems was compared with a network of conventional ground receiving stations. Orbital geometry and dynamics, target areas, and costs were considered. The ground network solution is found to be feasible for a limited scope of operations, but the DRS to be superior for a multisatellite global network. The economics of DRS operations are improved by increasing the number of customers.