Patent · US Expired

Earth observation method, and system and observation satellite, operating ground system and program for the same

US6241192A · kind A · utility

25Cited by
1References
15Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateOct 1, 1999
Grant dateJun 5, 2001
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 1, 2019

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
  • CPC primaryB64G1/244
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

An earth observation system capable of observing the earth globally and uniformly in a steady observation operation mode while observing a given district on the earth in a high-frequency observation operation mode, as occasion requires, includes a plurality of observation satellites each equipped with an orbit transfer facility, an observation data receiving system, an observation satellite operating ground system, an observation command facility such as anti-disaster task forces, institutes or the like. In the steady observation operation mode for observing globally the earth, M observation satellites are constellated on each of L sun-synchronized quasi-recurrent orbits each having a same altitude and a same inclination (where L and M represents natural numbers). In the high-frequency observation operation mode for observing a particular district on the earth, M satellites are constellated on each of L sun-synchronized recurrent orbits each having a nominal altitude of 561 km and a nominal inclination 97.6 degrees or alternatively a nominal altitude of 888.3 km and a nominal inclination of 98.8 degrees.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.