We show that it is possible to launch a satellite to Geostationary Equatorial orbit (GEO) from the non-equatorial launch site (Naro Space Center in South Korea) even though that is located in the mid-latitudes of the northern hemisphere. When launched from this site, the equatorial inclination after separation will be 80°. We use a lunar gravity assist (LGA) transfer to avoid the excessive ∆V costs of plane change maneuvers. There are eight possible paths for the LGA; there are four paths consisting of Earth departures and free-return types, and there are two nodes of the Moon’s orbit (ascending and descending). We analyze trajectories over five launch periods for each path using a high-fidelity orbit propagation model. We show that the LGA changes the orbital energy of the “cislunar” free-returns more than for the “circumlunar” free-returns, resulting in less geostationary insertion ∆V for the cislunar free-returns. We also show that the geometrical ∆V variation over the different paths is greater than the seasonal ∆V variation. Our results indicate that an ascending departure and cislunar free-return at the descending node have lower ∆V requirements than the other paths, and lower than described in several previous studies.
Geostationary Orbit Transfer with Lunar Gravity Assist from Non-equatorial Launch Site
J Astronaut Sci
The Journal of the Astronautical Sciences ; 68 , 4 ; 1014-1033
2021-12-01
20 pages
Article (Journal)
Electronic Resource
English
Geostationary orbit transfer , Lunar gravity assist , Non-equatorial launch site , Possible path , Circumlunar , Cislunar , Delta-V (∆<italic>V</italic>) Engineering , Aerospace Technology and Astronautics , Mathematical Applications in the Physical Sciences , Space Sciences (including Extraterrestrial Physics, Space Exploration and Astronautics)
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