US 12,454,370 B2
Satellite constellation maintaining method, satellite constellation, orbital dropping method, and artificial satellite
Hisayuki Mukae, Tokyo (JP)
Assigned to MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION, Tokyo (JP)
Appl. No. 18/291,247
Filed by Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, Tokyo (JP)
PCT Filed Jul. 19, 2022, PCT No. PCT/JP2022/027982
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jan. 23, 2024,
PCT Pub. No. WO2023/008245, PCT Pub. Date Feb. 2, 2023.
Claims priority of application No. 2021-122595 (JP), filed on Jul. 27, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2024/0359829 A1, Oct. 31, 2024
Int. Cl. B64G 1/24 (2006.01); B64G 1/10 (2006.01)
CPC B64G 1/2427 (2023.08) [B64G 1/1085 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A satellite constellation maintaining method, comprising:
operating a first satellite constellation having a plurality of artificial satellite groups in a first orbital altitude zone;
operating a second satellite constellation in a second orbital altitude zone lower than the first orbital altitude zone, the second satellite constellation forming a plurality of orbital planes;
deorbiting and dropping a deorbiting satellite from an orbit of the first orbital altitude zone while the second satellite constellation widens a relative angle of adjacent first and second orbital planes of the plurality of orbital planes in a deorbiting path of the deorbiting satellite and narrows other orbital planes of the plurality of orbital planes to allocate a free orbit area in the second orbital altitude zone, the deorbiting satellite being one of artificial satellites belonging to the first satellite constellation;
causing the deorbiting satellite to pass through the free orbit area of the second orbital altitude zone;
inserting a succeeding satellite to the orbit of the first orbital altitude zone, the succeeding satellite is an artificial satellite serving as a replacement of the deorbiting satellite; and then
returning the second satellite constellation to an original orbital altitude of each orbital plane to an original position.