Patent ID: 7832687

Claim:
A method for launching a single first space vehicle and a single second space vehicle, the first space vehicle designed to carry out its own mission in a first final destination orbit in a first final destination orbital plane and having its own one or more first rocket engines, the second space vehicle designed to carry out its own mission in a second final destination orbit in a second final destination orbital plane and having its own one or more second rocket engines, the method comprising: determining a first orbit having a first perigee altitude and a first apogee altitude, into which the launch vehicle is to be launched and where the second space vehicle is to be released, based on an orbital regression rate of the second space vehicle to insert the second space vehicle from the first final destination orbital plane into the second final destination orbital plane, based on perturbations produced by an oblateness of the earth, without utilizing a launch vehicle or the one or more second rocket engines of the second space vehicle; launching the launch vehicle with the first and second space vehicles into the first orbit in the first final destination orbital plane of the first space vehicle; releasing the second space vehicle from the launch vehicle, in the first orbit in the first final destination orbital plane, while the first space vehicle is attached to the launch vehicle; determining when an orbital plane of the second space vehicle coincides with the second final destination orbital plane of the second space vehicle; transferring the second space vehicle from the first final destination orbital plane to the second final destination orbital plane, without utilizing the launch vehicle or the one or more second rocket engines of the second space vehicle; firing the one or more second rocket engines of the second space vehicle, when the second space vehicle is in the second final destination orbital plane, to achieve a transfer orbit; determining when to fire the one or more second rocket engines of the second space vehicle to achieve the second final destination orbit; firing the one or more second rocket engines of the second space vehicle at a time determined to achieve the second final destination orbit; and performing, by the second space vehicle, its own mission at the second final destination orbit in the second final destination orbital plane, wherein the first final destination orbital plane is different from the second final destination orbital plane.