Abstract:

Satellite Operators control numerous satellites at the same orbital location to receive any types of signals, mainly television broadcasting signals emitted from many collocated satellites, via a single ground satellite antenna. Operating numerous collocated satellites within a ±0.10° control window requires more precise orbit determination and an incredibly complex orbital dynamic problem solution. Measurement of satellites' real-time position in space and calculating distances among them is an approach to mitigate various particularly time dependent errors in flight dynamics software. This work proposed a real-time measurement method (RTM) to calculate distances among collocated satellites. The satellite's azimuth, elevation, and range measurements were performed simultaneously, and their X, Y, and Z position in space were calculated at the time of measurement. The proposed method results were compared with satellite operators' commonly used software. The difference between the two methods for the mean distance of collocated two satellites, Uydu-A and Uydu-B is 0.068 km, and for the RMSE values, it is 0.290 km. Similarly, the mean distance difference RMSE values between the two methods are 0.257 km, 0.201 km, and 0.219 km for collocated Uydu-1 and Uydu-2, Uydu-3, and Uydu-4, respectively. The proposed RTM method provides excellent results for collocated satellites. The proposed RTM method provides excellent results for collocated satellites, showing their positions in space instantaneously with mitigated errors compared to long-time prediction methods commonly used by satellite operators. The measurement covers unexpected orbit changes due to unknown external forces, such as leakage in the propulsion system and micrometeoroids. This enables satellite operators to monitor collocated satellite distances more realistically, together with unexpected orbital deviations

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