FURTHER DEVELOPMENTS ON THE REQUIRED NUMBER OF RANDOMLY SPACED COMMUNICATION AND NAVIGATION SATELLITES
Abstract
This study is a continuation of the research problem presented in NASA Technical Note D-619 (AD-249 293) and is limited to near-earth satellites deployed singly in randomly spaced circular orbits. Certain geometric aspects of the communication and navigation satellite concepts are investigated. Results of two systematic studies are presented from which estimates of the required number of satellites for many practical communication and navigation links can be obtained. T pri ry iff r c b tween th t o studie is the shape of the region of mutual communication; both lenticular and circular shapes were studied. Results for a sample worldwide communications system, in which the lenticular region of mutual communication is used, are also presented. The communication links for this system are cho en primarily for intercontinental and large city communications. For a worldwide navigation satellite system (or communication system based on circular regions of mutual communication) it was found that, for the range of circle diameters considered, the optimum orbit inclination angle lies between 53 and 64 degrees. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Feb 01, 1962
- Accession Number
- AD0271898
Entities
People
- Floyd V. Bennett
Organizations
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration