EFFICIENT SCHEME OF HOLDING IN ORBIT OF SATELLITE FOR INSTALLATIONS ON MIXED FUEL IN CASE OF FAILURE OF LOW-THRUST ELECTRIC ENGINE

摘要

Apparatus and methods for stationkeeping in a satellite. The satellite includes a north electric thruster (210) and a south electric THRUSTER (211) installed on a zenith side (105), an east chemical thruster (221) installed on an east side , and a west chemical thruster (220) installed on a west side. An orbit controller detects a failure of one of the electric thrusters. In response to the failure, the orbit controller controls a bum of the remaining electric thruster proximate to an orbital node. The orbit controller controls a bum of one of the chemical thrusters at 90° ± 5° from the bum of the remaining electric thruster, and controls a bum of the other one of the chemical thrusters at 270° ± 5° from the bum of the remaining electric thruster.