Simultaneously Adjusting Deployment Strategies for Mega-Constellations Using Low-Thrust Maneuvers

Deploying a constellation can be costly and inefficient. The ultimate goal is to position multiple satellites into designated orbital slots with the fewest launches and lowest energy consumption. This paper presents a method for simultaneous right ascension of the ascending node (RAAN) and argument of latitude (AOL) adjustments using continuous low thrust. Firstly, how changes in the semimajor axis and inclination affect the RAAN and the AOL is analyzed. A control method is proposed, and all satellites are sequentially placed from the injection orbit to the working orbit at specific time intervals. Because the RAAN and AOL are coupled with each other, a priority control strategy is introduced. This strategy ensures that the AOL is accurately satisfied within the time between each maneuver. Next, equations that correlate the RAAN and the AOL with the orbit inclination deviation and maneuver interval time are established. By studying the maneuver time intervals and inclination compensations, a highly accurate synchronized deployment scheme can be obtained. A simulation experiment based on the OneWeb constellation is carried out. In the simulation, 80 satellites are launched by just one rocket. By employing the proposed method, the constellation is successfully deployed. Results from the simulation verified the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm, which may be employed for rapid deployment of a mega-constellation in the future.