中文标题：Satellite constellation design for Titan exploration: orbit design and performance assessment

英文标题：Satellite constellation design for Titan exploration: orbit design and performance assessment

来源期刊：SpringerOpen

基金项目：The work of L.Ferreira and A.F.B.A Prado has been supported by Program CAPES-PDSE, process number 88881.982568/2024-01, and São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) [grant number 2022/11783-5]. The work of D. Casanova and E. Tresaco have been supported by Grant PID2024-156002NB-I00 funded by MICIU/AEI/10.13039/501100011033/FEDER, UE, and by the Aragón Government and European Social Fund (E2423R).

作  者：Lucas S. Ferreira, Daniel Casanova, Eva Tresaco and Antonio F. B. A. Prado

作者单位：School of Natural Sciences and Engineering, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Rua Quirino de Andrade, 215, São Paulo, 01049-010, Brazil(Lucas S. Ferreira)
Centro Universitario de la Defensa de Zaragoza, Academia General Militar, Crta. Huesca, s/n, 50090, Zaragoza, Spain(Daniel Casanova)
Escuela Politécnica Superior, Universidad de Zaragoza, Crta. de Cuarte, s/n, 22071, Huesca, Spain(Eva Tresaco)
IUMA, Universidad de Zaragoza, Pedro Cerbuna, 12, 50009, Zaragoza, Spain(Daniel Casanova&Eva Tresaco)
INPE, Postgraduate Division, National Institute for Space Research, Avenida dos Astronautas, 1.758, São José dos Campos, 12227-010, Brazil(Antonio F. B. A. Prado)

摘  要：Satellite constellations allow distributed tasks among multiple spacecraft, reducing mission time and enhancing objectives. Interest in constellations has increased due to reduced costs in satellite production and launch. A key step in constellation planning is its design, which determines the orbital distribution of the satellites. In this work, we apply the 2D Necklace Flower Constellations methodology to explore possible architectures for future missions around Titan. As a result of strong perturbations in regions near natural satellites and environmental restrictions on Titan, proposals for maintaining constellations to enhance data collection and prevent mutual collisions between the satellites involved are an important aspect to consider. Therefore, the proposed designs incorporate frozen orbits and repetition ground tracks in an initial dynamical model that includes the effects of the $$J_2$$ and $$J_3$$ perturbations. Analyses using a simplified dynamic model, with a simple mean and a complete dynamic model, employing the IAS15 integrator from the Rebound package, show that, for the assumed perturbations, the proposed constellation configurations maintain long-term ground-track coverage of the surface of Titan. The performance evaluation indicates that the methodology provides robust constellation geometries, supporting orbit control and mission feasibility for Titan exploration.

全文链接： https://satellite-navigation.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s43020-025-00180-x