Open AccessThe term “formation flying” implies coordinated movement of at least two satellites on coplanar and non-coplanar orbits with a maximum distance between them being much less than the length of the orbit. Peculiarities of formation flying concept also include:
- automatic coordination of satellites;
- sub-group specialization of formation flying satellites;
- equipment and data exchange technology unification in each specialized group or subgroup.
Formation flying satellites can be classified according to the configuration stability level (order (array), cluster («swarm»), intergroup specialization rules («central satellite», «leader», «slave»), manoeuvrability («active» and «passive» satellites).
Tasks of formation flying include:
- experiments with payload, distributed in formation flying satellites;
- various near-earth space and earth-surface research;
- super-sized aperture antenna development;
- land-based telescope calibration;
- «space advertisement» (earth-surface observable satellite compositions of a logotype, word, etc.);
- orbital satellite maintenance, etc.
Main issues of formation flying satellite system design are:
- development of an autonomous satellite group manoeuvring technology;
- providing a sufficient characteristic velocity of formation flying satellites;
- ballistic and navigation maintenance for satellite formation flying;
- technical and economic assessment of formation flying orbital delivery and deployment;
- standardization, unification, miniaturization and integration of equipment;
- intergroup and intersatellite function redistribution.