Satellite constellations in sliding ground track orbits

This paper deals with repeating ground track orbits, taking into consideration the case of a single satellite and of constellations composed of one or more orbital planes. First, the orbital relationships able to guarantee a uniform ground track pattern on the Earth's surface are provided. Then, the sliding ground track concept, based on the possibility to shift from a ground track pattern to another by small corrective manoeuvres, is introduced. This technique, which can be applied to both single satellite and satellite constellations, allows the fulfillment of several objectives in the course of the same mission. (C) 2014 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.