Method of injecting plurality of spacecraft into different orbits individually

Abstract

In a method for injecting a plurality of spacecraft into different circum-earth or interplanetary orbits individually in a single launch, a plurality of spacecraft coupled to an assist module are injected into an interplanetary orbit having a periodicity synchronous with the earth's revolution period. Then, in a maneuver allowing the assist module to re-counter with and pass near to the earth (Earth swing-by), the assist module appropriately performs an orbital change maneuver and a separation maneuver for each of the spacecraft in a sequential order. Through these maneuvers, a closest-approach point to the earth is changed for each of the spacecraft so as to drastically change a subsequent orbital element for each of the spacecraft. The assist module takes a sufficient time to determine a target orbit for each of the spacecraft with a high degree of accuracy until a half month to several days before a closest-approach time in the Earth swing-by. Based on the determined orbit, the assist module makes an orbit correction of about several m/sec in a sequential order, and then separates the spacecraft therefrom in a sequential order. In this process, an inertia navigation is performed based on an accelerometer mounted in the assist module and information about attitude.