Methodology for Justifying the Structure of a Combined Spacecraft System

The analysis of functioning of the Earth remote sensing spacecraft systems of the domestic orbital constellation is performed. The approach to joint application of currently operating and newly launched spacecraft, which will improve the performance of the domestic Earth remote sensing orbital constellation at the stages of deployment, buildup and replenishment, is proposed. Problems of designing spacecraft systems on different orbits, differing by position in space, orbital period and observation characteristics are investigated. A technique for justifying the structure of a combined spacecraft system using the proposed indicator has been developed. The use of the given technique allows one to analyze, justify the orbital structures and improve the performance indicators of a system of Earth remote sensing combined spacecraft. The dependences of the performance indicator of the spacecraft system functioning for different variants of the orbital structures of combined spacecraft systems upon the orbital planes position were obtained. For example, the uniformity of review intervals is achieved by alignment of observation conditions at upper and lower latitudes, which can be determined by solving a geometric problem on a sphere. The methodology is recommended to be used at the stages of deployment and buildup of domestic orbital constellation taking into account newly launched spacecraft, as well as at the stage of deployment and operation of incomplete spacecraft systems