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Abstract

This paper is focused on how to design a cluster for a fractionated spacecraft mission, which benefits from the relative communication and navigation of the cluster satellites while keeping the satellites a safe distance apart. The fractionated spacecraft cluster is classified as the tightly controlled formation and the unconsolidated formation. Five parameters will define a satellite cluster, which will reflect the scale, combination, and the space structure of the cluster. A satellite cluster based on the tree architecture is proposed, and the relative combination calculation method for different relative orbits of different tree layers is presented. Simulation results have shown that the cluster satellites can be maintained within a certain distance using the tree architecture.

Keywords

Satellite cluster fractionated spacecraft tree architecture relative distance apart unconsolidated formation

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A novel satellite cluster design based on tree architecture

Abstract

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