Efficiency enhancement of the space low-orbit system GONETS

Abstract

The Scientific Production Institute for Applied Mechanics (NPO PM) is developing the GONETS low-orbit space communication system. The system exploits small size satellites (up to 250-280 kg). GONETS satellites are not equipped with a correction subsystem. Therefore the task is to improve the efficiency of the space communication system to correct the orbit parameters without satellite modification, increasing the number of satellites in the orbital group and without changing the type of launch vehicle used. To tackle this task the specialists and engineers of NPO PM carried out investigations into the influence of the compensation accuracy of the initial injection errors and the orbit keeping accuracy on the time probability response (any time during which the communication session will probably take place). They designed a simulation model to carry out their investigations.