Patent ID: 6059233
Filing Date: 2000-05-09
Classification: B64G

Abstract:
A method of launching satellites simultaneously on non-coplanar orbits, in which a first satellite is put on a launcher adapted to place said first satellite practically directly on a first final orbit having first orbital parameters with a first eccentricity value, a first inclination value, and a first apogee value, and at least one second satellite is put on the launcher for placing on a second final orbit having second orbital parameters with a second eccentricity value, a second inclination value, and a second apogee value which are substantially different from the corresponding values of the first orbital parameters supplied by the launcher and applied to the first satellite launched simultaneously with the second satellite, wherein, to put the second satellite into place: the second satellite is transferred to a highly elliptical waiting orbit during a first maneuver, which orbit has its apogee typically situated in the range 50,000 km to 400,000 km, has a semi-major axis pointing so as to intercept the torus formed by the sphere of influence of the moon on its orbit, and has a period T.sub.A calculated to comply with the formula:nT.sub.A +1/2T.sub.LTO =t.sub.pl with n integer.ltoreq.4where T.sub.LTO is the period of the lunar transfer orbit, t.sub.pl is the time between the end of launching and the passage of the moon at the aiming point, and n is the number of times, less than 4, that the second satellite travels round the highly elliptical waiting orbit; at the perigee of said highly elliptical orbit the second satellite is transferred during a second maneuver to the lunar transfer orbit; a mid-course correction is performed during a third maneuver to fix accurately the entry parameters into the sphere of influence of the moon; which entry parameters are determined so that during a fourth maneuver, changes are obtained in perigee altitude and in inclination of an intermediate orbit on which the second satellite is to be found for the purpose of coming closer to said second final orbit, which changes are obtained mainly by gravitational reaction in the sphere of influence of the moon, and a fifth maneuver is performed to place the second satellite accurately on the second final orbit.