Patent ID: 8360366

Claim:
A method for designing a constellation of non-geostationary satellites, comprising the following steps: arranging a pre-determined number of satellites in each of a pre-determined number of orbital planes that every adjacent orbital plane of the constellation are alternated in either prograde orbital plane with the inclination angle of orbit between 0 and 90 degrees with respect to the equator of the earth or retrograde orbital plane with the inclination angle of orbit greater than 90 degrees with respect to the equator of the earth; forming a plurality of a first type of closed cell with three separate of said orbital planes and each of the plurality of said first type of closed cell having only three crossover locations; forming a plurality of a second type of closed cell by four separate of said orbital planes and each the plurality of the second type closed cell having only four crossover locations; arranging handoffs of satellites being tracked and linked by earth antennas proximate said crossover locations; forming a plurality of a third type of closed cell by distributing satellites in said orbital planes in such a way that allows said earth antennas to be able to continuously track and link satellites in said orbital planes within each of said third type of closed cell in either clock-wise (CW) direction or counter-clock-wise (CCW) direction and also to track satellites within every adjacent said of said third type of closed cell in the opposite direction, allowing earth antennas to track satellites flying in said plurality of third type of closed cell in either CW or CCW direction; and distributing satellites in said orbital planes in such a way that having at least one satellite available within each of said plurality of a third type of closed cell at any time.