James Ervin Pollard

US Patent:

6725012, Apr 20, 2004

Filed:

Feb 1, 2000

Appl. No.:

09/495731

Inventors:

Siegfried W. Janson - Redondo Beach CA
James E. Pollard - Manhattan Beach CA
Chia-Chun Chao - Rancho Palos Verdes CA

Assignee:

The Aerospace Corporation - El Segundo CA

International Classification:

H04B 7185

US Classification:

455 121, 244158 R, 244160, 701 13, 701 26

Abstract:

A deployment method maintains a cluster of subsatellites within a rigid formation relative to and orbiting about a real or fictitious center satellite that in turn orbits the earth in a frozen inclined eccentric reference orbit by determining the subsatellite reference orbits of the each of the subsatellites based upon position and velocity vectors of the center satellite. The determined subsatellite reference orbits can then be maintained through fuel efficient microthrusting so as to maintain the rigid formation for coherently combining communication signals within a very large sparse antenna array formed by the cluster having improved beam directionality for improved signal communications.