Patent ID: 6032902
Filing Date: 2000-03-07
Classification: B64G,H04B

Abstract:
A communications and/or navigation system based on a constellation of non-geostationary satellites distributed in orbital planes around the terrestrial globe, wherein, in the constellation:the orbital planes are distributed in pairs, with pairs of orbital planes being regularly spaced apart relative to one another in the equatorial plane of the terrestrial globe, and with the spacing between two successive pairs of orbital planes, differing from the spacing between two orbital planes in the same pair of orbital planes; andthe satellites are distributed in pairs in the pairs of orbital planes, the satellites of a pair of satellites being distributed in different orbital planes of the same pair of orbital planes, the two satellites in the same pair of satellites having a first orbital offset relative to each other, and, in two successive pairs of orbital planes, the pairs of satellites in the first pair of orbital planes and the pairs of satellites in the second pair of orbital planes present a second orbital offset between each other that is not equal to the first orbital offset nor to twice said offset.