US 12,280,896 B2
Method for optimising the orbital transfer of an electrically propelled spacecraft, and satellite using said method
Ivan Laine, Toulouse (FR); Eric Martin, Toulouse (FR); Marie Catherine Maag, Toulouse (FR); and Jean Francois Diraison, Toulouse (FR)
Assigned to AIRBUS DEFENCE AND SPACE SAS, Toulouse (FR)
Appl. No. 17/926,543
Filed by AIRBUS DEFENCE AND SPACE SAS, Toulouse (FR)
PCT Filed May 19, 2021, PCT No. PCT/EP2021/063386
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Nov. 18, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/234054, PCT Pub. Date Nov. 25, 2021.
Claims priority of application No. 2005113 (FR), filed on May 19, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0211895 A1, Jul. 6, 2023
Int. Cl. B64G 1/00 (2006.01); B64G 1/24 (2006.01); B64G 1/40 (2006.01)
CPC B64G 1/2427 (2023.08) [B64G 1/242 (2013.01); B64G 1/405 (2013.01)] 11 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for transferring a spacecraft from an initial elliptical orbit to a final orbit of said spacecraft about a body of dominating mass, said spacecraft taking at least one intermediate elliptical orbit, propelled by an electric propulsion means, wherein the method comprises:
when the spacecraft is in an intermediate elliptical orbit, a nominal thrust step, wherein said propulsion means generates a nominal thrust while said spacecraft is on at least one part of a first orbital arc passing through the apogee of said intermediate elliptical orbit, and
a minimum thrust step during which a solar array charges an electric battery on the spacecraft and the propulsion means generates thrust at a level below the nominal thrust, wherein the minimum thrust step is performed while said spacecraft is on at least one part of a second orbital arc passing through a perigee of said intermediate elliptical orbit,
wherein the first orbital arc and the second orbital arc together form the intermediate elliptical orbit,
wherein during the nominal thrust step, energy stored in the electrical battery is applied to generate the nominal thrust, and
wherein after the charging of the electric battery, energy generated by the solar array is applied to heat said spacecraft to save energy during a resetting of a thermal control operation performed during the nominal thrust step.