The "Freyja"-System - A satellite-network in a box

[Spanier]

The Freyja - System

The Freyja-System allows you to establish a fully operational communications satellite network with a single launch. It hosts 6 simple communication satellites that have enough power to adjust their target orbit by their own. They are mount ontop of a delivery unit, that's used to establish a phasing orbit around the target body.

Freyja _{ver. 1.0.0}

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How to use:

Step 1: Launch the delivery into a primary parking orbit with an inclination of 0°

Step 2: Raise the apoapsis to the height of the targeted orbit

Step 3: Raise periapsis, so the orbital period equals 5/6 of the target orbital period (Formula)

Step 4: Release one satellite at each apoapsis and circularize its orbit, so you get your satellites evenly distributed around the equator

Step 5: Change the inclination of the satellites. Therefore you execute this clockwise every 1/3 period of circulation, so none of the satellites share the same orbital plane but two do share their polar angle.

Finished, now you have a satellite system, that covers every point of the planet.

Edited June 29, 2013 by Spanier

[hoodedarche0]

Looks awesome! Great job!!

[Spanier]

Thx, it took quite a long time to figure out the pattern to get the satellites evenly distributed around the planet.

[Tada]

Very nice! I love your box policy

[Wait- Was That Important?]

This is a very nice looking example of stock fairings- I love it!

[Spanier]

So a Freyja Satellite Network can also be established around the Mün:

[Chozo Nomad]

I have my own sat-com network around Kerbin, but it's not quite like yours!.. I must improve!

[Tada]

I´ll maybe take a box to Laythe

[Mulbin]

Awesome ... I've started a "put stuff in a box" revolution!

New station in a box is up by the way

[fractl]

just realized that was I was asking for had already been posted in OP conveniently under, "How to use" ...go figure

EDIT: After many hours of reading and attempting to match the orbits you made in the screenshot up there, I finally got it down! Well, almost..I kinda just ran out of fuel before I could get my inclination to reach the poles. Basically there's no line of sight on either pole, plus some of my satellites completely share an orbit instead of just the polar angle, but at least I got the gist of it.

Hint for anyone else attempting this: Be very cautious and conservative of your fuel when circularizing the orbits of the satellites, and especially when adjusting the inclination, it likes to alter your periapsis and requires you to constantly adjust your heading.

Anyways thanks Spanier for the awesome download! I learned a lot attempting this!

Edited June 29, 2013 by fractl

[fractl]

So can you tell me what inclinations you use? I tried 45 degrees but I guess there are multiple inclinations required for it to look right. This is as far as I could get. The other 3 satellites just keep lining up with the others when I try to do it.

Thoughts? Suggestions?

[Flixxbeatz]

Multiple satellites in a single launch?

That reminds me of

[fractl]

Yes, but this system allows even dispersal of all of your satellites.

Basically:

1 - Launch your satellite package to your final altitude and circularize.

2 - Find the orbital period of this apoapsis. ex: 300km ~ 48min (MechJeb and Engineering Redux can tell you your orbital period)

3 - Burn retrograde at your apoapsis until your orbital period is 5/6 of your circularized orbital period. (5/6 is if you are launching 6 satellites at once. If you're launching 5 then 4/5, launching 4 then 3/4 etc.) So 5/6 of 48 = 40, so burn retrograde until orbital period is 40min. But remember that is only for an altitude of 300km while launching 6 satellites..changing the altitude or number of satellites changes the formula.

4 - Turn prograde and warp to your next apoapsis. Release 1 satellite and circularize that satellite only.

5 - Switch back to your main vessel, and repeat steps 4-5 until all your satellites have been launched and circularized and then burn retrograde with your main vessel and plummet back to Kerbin.

6 - Profit!

You should now have all of your satellites in orbit at the same circularized altitude pretty much evenly distributed around Kerbin.

Now the hard part (what I can't figure out) is how to adjust the inclinations so that not one satellite shares the same orbit, but some do share the same polar angle. When you figure that out let me know.

[fractl]

Here's a lil vid I made

[drtedastro]

fractl, for some reason I have no volume for your posted vid. all others are fine, but no sound. did you make a silent movie????

thanks.

DrTedAstro

[fractl]

yeah I don't have a mic, but if you follow the instructions in the thread above the video it goes right along with it.

[Spanier]

You need to change the inclination of 1 satellite not every 1/6 orbit, but every 1/3 orbit, so an adjected satellite is just in the next orbital slot pictured from the inertial system.

[SDIR]

Nice! Are there any docking ports on the delivery vehicle? I'd love to set an entire network up and ready to send to Jool and Laythe!

[fractl]

There's clampotron jr's attaching the satellites to the delivery vehicle, but not on the actual vehicle itself.

You can always add a docking port or anything else you might want in the VAB. I added MechJeb to the launch vehicle as well as each satellite so I could get near perfect orbits.

[SDIR]

Is it possible that you can make a version without Mechjeb and post that as well? I prefer not to use it because it takes the waiting out of this game

[fractl]

the version in the op is completely stock, I was just saying that I used MechJeb

[teo]

kawai ^^, thanks, this very cool and KAWAAIII!!!!

[intidragon]

I must ask though. . . how DO you manage to make such epic-looking stock fairings? They look more like a work of art than a simple payload shroud.

[prom3theus]

How to use:

Step 1: Launch the delivery into a primary parking orbit with an inclination of 0°

Step 2: Raise the apoapsis to the height of the targeted orbit

Step 3: Raise periapsis, so the orbital period equals 5/6 of the target orbital period (Formula)

Step 4: Release one satellite at each apoapsis and circularize its orbit, so you get your satellites evenly distributed around the equator

Step 5: Change the inclination of the satellites. Therefore you execute this clockwise every 1/3 period of circulation, so none of the satellites share the same orbital plane but two do share their polar angle.

...

Therefore you execute this clockwise every 1/3 period of circulation, so none of the satellites share the same orbital plane but two do share their polar angle.

...

What's a 1/3 period of circulation, and how do you judge (or more importantly, measure) it?