Analysis and Design of Starlink-like Satellite Constellation

Abstract

Satellite constellations are widely used for communication, navigation, and Earth observation purposes. They provide good ground coverages and serve better for these needs. Of all the configurations, the Walker constellation is extensively applied in many navigation satellite systems and some low Earth orbit communication constellations, since it can be easily designed and has good coverage. Despite of these advantages, the satellites in Walker constellation generally have different ground tracks. When multiple Walker constellations are to be coordinated, in terms that the orbital planes precess synchronously with the same satellite mean motion ${\Omega }_1$, the semi-major axes $a$ of these Walker constellations would be significantly different even when the orbital inclinations differ by a small amount. The Space Exploration Corp (SpaceX) claimed a new constellation design in a patent for their multi-shell Starlink satellite constellation. Constellation shells with different inclinations have small altitude differences, which facilitates regulatory approval and deployment. Satellites in the same shell can also be easily designed to share the same ground track. Although they claimed these features in the patent, SpaceX shared little technical details regarding how to design these constellations. Here in this paper, we analyze the features of the Starlink constellation, and try to find a practical approach to design a Starlink-like constellation, as well as how to determine the rules for inter-satellite links within the constellation.