US 12,234,041 B2
Satellite constellation, ground facility and artificial satellite
Hisayuki Mukae, Tokyo (JP)
Assigned to MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION, Tokyo (JP)
Appl. No. 17/437,416
Filed by Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, Tokyo (JP)
PCT Filed Apr. 24, 2019, PCT No. PCT/JP2019/017433
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Sep. 9, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/217340, PCT Pub. Date Oct. 29, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0185505 A1, Jun. 16, 2022
Int. Cl. B64G 1/24 (2006.01); B64G 1/10 (2006.01)
CPC B64G 1/242 (2013.01) [B64G 1/1085 (2013.01)] 22 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A satellite constellation comprising:
three or more artificial satellites that monitor a target area of the Earth,
wherein each of the three or more artificial satellites circulates on non-frozen elliptical orbits having sun-synchronization and an orbit inclination angle,
wherein a long axis of each elliptical orbit forms an equal angle with each long axis of two adjacent elliptical orbits on an orbit surface, and
wherein a position of each of the three or more artificial satellites is configured to be adjusted on a corresponding elliptical orbit according to control commands received by each of the three or more satellites so that each of the three or more artificial satellites cooperate with each other to constantly monitor the target area of the Earth.