Inclination maneuver simulation with non-impulsive thruster for Sun-synchronous satellite.

To fulfill its operational function, the Sun-synchronous satellite needs to have a specific nodal precession value of 360°/year. This nodal precession value is mainly affected by semi-major axis, eccentricity, and inclination. However, in fact, semi-major axis and inclination of an orbit often drift over a long period of operation. Thus, the nodal precession of the orbit will be no longer 360°/year. This paper discusses the simulation of inclination maneuver to correct the nodal precession of Sun-synchronous satellite by using a non-impulsive thruster approach. Data from LAPAN Sun-synchronous satellite was used for simulation. The results of the simulation show that there are no significant changes to other orbital parameters for inclination maneuver for every 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6 months. Also, the results of the simulation are compared to the analytical results (impulsive thruster approach), which turns out that the analytical approach still gives a good accuracy of inclination changes for that maneuver interval with accuracy up to 0.001°. The results can be used as a recommendation for the thruster operation of the next LAPAN Sun-synchronous satellite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]