Abstract Mars Areostationary Relay Satellites are considered robust candidates to meet the telecommunications needs of the coming set of Mars science missions. Orbital station-keeping manoeuvres are required to compensate natural perturbations on the areostationary orbit. This paper deals on the pattern description of solar eclipses in the areostationary orbit to allow to test the constrain imposed by the impossibility to perform manoeuvres at the eclipse times. We present here the models used to characterize the two eclipse epochs around the spring and autumn equinoxes over a Martian year. In average, each eclipse season lasts 90 sols in eclipse with a daily maxima duration of about 1h18min plus 2min 54s of penumbra. Temporal duration of solar eclipses with different values near to zero inclination and different satellite orbit nodes has been also analyzed.
Highlights Temporal patterns׳ characterization of the solar eclipses on the areostationary orbit. Number of sols and eclipse duration for different satellite inclination and node values. Results useful for planning station-keeping strategies avoiding manoeuvres at eclipse times.
Temporal patterns of solar eclipses on areostationary relay satellites
Acta Astronautica ; 102 ; 27-34
2014-05-11
8 pages
Article (Journal)
Electronic Resource
English
Temporal patterns of solar eclipses on areostationary relay satellites
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