Highly inclined elliptical orbit launch and orbit acquisition techniques

1. A method of placing at least one satellite into an operational orbit, the method comprising:

executing an orbit transfer strategy that transfers the satellite from a launch vehicle deployment orbit to the operational orbit, wherein:

the operational orbit is substantially geosynchronous and has (i) an inclination of greater than 70 degrees; (ii) a nominal eccentricity in the range of 0.25 to 0.5; (iii) an argument of perigee of approximately 90 or approximately 270 degrees; (iv) an operational orbit apogee altitude of approximately 48,000 km; and (v) an operational orbit perigee altitude of approximately 23,000 km;

the launch vehicle deployment orbit has an apogee altitude of approximately 14000 km, a perigee altitude of approximately 500 km, and an argument of perigee of approximately 90° greater than the argument of perigee of the operational orbit; and

the orbit transfer strategy includes:

an apsidal rotation of approximately 90° from the argument of perigee of the launch vehicle deployment orbit to the argument of perigee of the operational orbit, at least a substantial part of the apsidal rotation being attained without expenditure of any satellite propellant; and

an orbit raising maneuver to attain the operational orbit apogee altitude and the operational orbit perigee altitude, at least a substantial part of the orbit raising maneuver being performed with electric thrusters.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one satellite includes two or more satellites, each of the two or more satellites being disposed, by a single launch vehicle, into the launch vehicle deployment orbit.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the launch vehicle deployment orbit is reached by performing at least two orbit transfer maneuvers with an upper stage of a launch vehicle.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the at least two orbit transfer maneuvers include a first maneuver that achieves an initial transfer orbit by firing a thruster of the upper stage proximate to the ascending node of an approximately circular parking orbit.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the at least two orbit transfer maneuvers include a second maneuver that achieves the launch vehicle deployment orbit by firing a thruster of the upper stage proximate to the descending node of the initial transfer orbit.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the parking orbit has an inclination of less than 72° and the launch vehicle deployment orbit has an inclination of approximately 90°.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the apogee altitude of the launch vehicle deployment orbit is greater than 12,000 km and less than 16,000 km.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the perigee altitude of the launch vehicle deployment orbit is greater than 300 km and less than 1000 km.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the apogee altitude of the operational orbit is greater than 43,000 km and less than 53,000 km.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the perigee altitude of the operational orbit is greater than 18,000 km and less than 28,000 km.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the argument of perigee of the launch vehicle deployment orbit is 60° to 120° greater than the argument of perigee of the operational orbit.

12. A satellite comprising a propulsion subsystem and a spacecraft controller, the spacecraft controller configured to:

execute an orbit transfer strategy that transfers the satellite from a launch vehicle deployment orbit to the operational orbit, wherein:

the operational orbit is substantially geosynchronous and has (i) an inclination of greater than 75 degrees; (ii) a nominal eccentricity in the range of 0.25 to 0.5; (iii) an argument of perigee of approximately 90 degrees or approximately 270 degrees; (iv) an operational orbit apogee altitude of approximately 48,000 km; and (v) an operational orbit perigee altitude of approximately 23,000 km;

the launch vehicle deployment orbit has an apogee altitude of approximately 14000 km, a perigee altitude of approximately 500 km, a first inclination with respect to the equator of less than 75 degrees, and an argument of perigee of approximately 90° greater than the argument of perigee of the operational orbit; and

the orbit transfer strategy includes:

an apsidal rotation of approximately 90° such that the argument of perigee rotates from the argument of perigee of the launch vehicle deployment orbit to the argument of perigee of the operational orbit, at least a substantial part of the apsidal rotation being attained without expenditure of any satellite propellant; and

performing, with the propulsion subsystem, an orbit raising maneuver to attain the operational orbit apogee altitude and the operational orbit perigee altitude, at least a substantial part of the orbit raising maneuver being performed with electric thrusters.

13. The satellite of claim 12 , wherein the at least one satellite includes two or more satellites, each of the two or more satellites being disposed, by a single launch vehicle, into the launch deployment orbit.

14. The satellite of claim 12 , wherein the launch vehicle deployment orbit is reached by performing at least two orbit transfer maneuvers with an upper stage of a launch vehicle.

15. The satellite of claim 14 , wherein the at least two orbit transfer maneuvers include a first maneuver that achieves an initial transfer orbit by firing a thruster of the upper stage proximate to the ascending node of an approximately circular parking orbit having a first inclination angle with respect to the equator.

16. The satellite of claim 15 , wherein the at least two orbit transfer maneuvers include a second maneuver that achieves the launch vehicle deployment orbit by firing a thruster of the upper stage proximate to the descending node of the initial transfer orbit so as to attain the perigee altitude of approximately 500 km and to attain the operational orbit inclination.

17. The satellite of claim 14 , wherein the at least two orbit transfer maneuvers include a first maneuver that achieves an initial transfer orbit by firing a thruster of the upper stage proximate to the descending node of an approximately circular parking orbit having a first inclination angle with respect to the equator.

18. The satellite of claim 17 , wherein the at least two orbit transfer maneuvers include a second maneuver that achieves the launch vehicle deployment orbit by firing a thruster of the upper stage proximate to the ascending node of the initial transfer orbit so as to attain the perigee altitude of approximately 500 km and to attain the operational orbit inclination.

19. The satellite of claim 14 , wherein the parking orbit has an inclination of less than 72° and the launch vehicle deployment orbit and the operational orbit have an inclination of approximately 90°.

20. The satellite of claim 12 , wherein the apogee altitude of the launch vehicle deployment orbit is greater than 12,000 km and less than 16,000 km.

21. The satellite of claim 12 , wherein the perigee altitude of the launch vehicle deployment orbit is greater than 300 km and less than 1000 km.

22. The satellite of claim 12 , wherein the apogee altitude of the operational orbit is greater than 43,000 km and less than 53,000 km.

23. The satellite of claim 12 , wherein the perigee altitude of the operational orbit is greater than 18,000 km and less than 28,000 km.

24. The method of claim 23 , wherein the argument of perigee of the launch vehicle deployment orbit is 60° to 120° greater than the argument of perigee of the operational orbit.