Patent ID: 7219858

Claim:
A method for deploying a plurality of spacecraft about a first celestial body comprising the steps of: (a) storing a first spacecraft and a second spacecraft aboard a spaceship; (b) launching, at a launch time within a launch window, the spaceship from a second celestial body that orbits the first celestial body; (c) flying the spaceship towards a third celestial body that orbits the second celestial body; (d) separating the first spacecraft and the second spacecraft from the spaceship while the spaceship is traveling towards the third celestial body; (e) separating the first spacecraft from the second spacecraft while the spaceship is traveling towards the third celestial body; (f) establishing a first trajectory for the first spacecraft leading to a first spacecraft flyby past the third celestial body, the first trajectory including multiple orbits about the second celestial body during which orbit period corrections are made to account for the time of launch in step (b), such that after the multiple orbits the first spacecraft flyby will coincide with a predetermined first-second-third celestial body orbital geometry regardless of the launch time within the launch window; (g) establishing a second trajectory for the second spacecraft leading to a second spacecraft flyby past the third celestial body, the second trajectory including multiple orbits about the second celestial body during which orbit period corrections are made to account for the time of launch in step (b), such that after the multiple orbits of the second trajectory the second spacecraft flyby will coincide with the predetermined first-second-third celestial body orbital geometry regardless of the launch time within the launch window, wherein the first trajectory is different than the second trajectory; (h) performing the first spacecraft flyby, including subjecting the first spacecraft to a gravitational force of the third celestial body whereby the first trajectory of the first spacecraft is modified and the first spacecraft assumes a first orbit about the first celestial body; (i) performing the second spacecraft flyby, including subjecting the second spacecraft to the gravitational force of the third celestial body whereby the second trajectory of the second spacecraft is modified and the second spacecraft assumes a second orbit about the first celestial body; and wherein the first orbit is different from the second orbit and the first and second spacecraft are positioned on opposite sides of the second body.