Satellite Constellation Orbital Plane Adjustment for Safe Deorbiting

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

The challenge of preventing collisions between satellites during the deorbiting process in satellite mega-constellations, where the deorbiting satellite's orbital plane and position are unpredictable, leading to frequent collision alerts and difficulty in taking avoidance actions.

Innovation Solution

A method involving a first satellite constellation at a higher altitude and a second satellite constellation at a lower altitude, where the second constellation adjusts its orbital planes to create a free orbit area for the deorbiting satellite to pass through, while a succeeding satellite is injected into the original orbit.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If a deorbiting satellite drops from a high-altitude orbit without control, then the deorbiting process is simple, but the satellite may collide with satellites in lower orbital planes

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedeorbiting process simplicityVSAvoidcollision avoidance

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by detecting when a deorbiting satellite enters the orbital altitude zone of the mega-constellation and proactively forming a free orbit area before the satellite arrives. This advance preparation ensures collision avoidance is already in place before the deorbiting satellite becomes a hazard, resolving the contradiction between simple deorbiting and collision safety.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism - the free orbit area formed by temporarily adjusting orbital planes of the second satellite constellation - that mediates between the deorbiting satellite and the operational satellites. This intermediary space allows the deorbiting satellite to pass through safely without direct interaction or collision risk with operational satellites.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If multiple satellite constellations operate at different orbital altitudes, then collision risk is reduced, but the system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecollision avoidanceVSAvoidsatellite constellation structure

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies dynamics by making the orbital plane configuration adjustable rather than fixed. The relative angles between orbital planes are dynamically changed to form free orbit areas only when needed for deorbiting satellites, then restored to normal operational configurations. This dynamic adjustment reduces overall system complexity while maintaining collision avoidance reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes orbital parameters (specifically the relative angles between orbital planes) temporarily to create free orbit areas. By modifying these parameters only when deorbiting satellites are present and returning them to normal values afterward, the system maintains reliability for collision avoidance while minimizing the complexity burden of managing multiple orbital configurations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Productivity

If satellites uniformly fly in multiple orbital planes, then the mega-constellation operates efficiently, but predicting collision danger becomes difficult when deorbiting occurs

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemega-constellation operation efficiencyVSAvoidcollision danger prediction

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDifficulty of detecting and measuring

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the orbital space by creating a dedicated free orbit area within the orbital altitude zone, separating the deorbiting satellite's path from the operational satellites' paths. This segmentation maintains the uniform orbital plane structure for efficient mega-constellation operation while making collision danger predictable by confining deorbiting activity to a specific, controlled segment of space.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS12454370B2Satellite constellation maintaining method, satellite constellation, orbital dropping method, and artificial satellite

Publication Date: 2025.10.28 MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORP

AI summary

When a deorbiting satellite, which is one of artificial satellites belonging to a first satellite constellation, deorbits and drops from an orbit of a first orbital altitude zone, a second satellite constellation widens a relative angle of any adjacent two orbital planes of a plurality of orbital planes and thereby allocates a free orbit area in a second orbital altitude zone. The deorbiting satellite passes through the free orbit area of the second orbital altitude zone.