| CPC B64G 1/646 (2013.01) [B64G 1/2427 (2023.08)] | 19 Claims |
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1. A method of achieving orbital rendezvous comprising:
launching a spacecraft from a fixed launch site at an optimal launch time of a given day, where the optimal launch time is selected to yield a target phase angle between the spacecraft and a target satellite on a preferred pass of the target satellite relative to the launch site on the given day, the target satellite orbiting in an orbital plane that does not pass through the launch site;
using a 2-burn launch profile of the launch vehicle to first insert the spacecraft into a parking orbit with a first burn; and
executing, from the parking orbit, a rendezvous envelope insertion maneuver with a second burn to cause the spacecraft to enter a rendezvous envelope before the target satellite completes a full orbit from its position at the optimal launch time.
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