Ring of Keostationary Satellites

[Meithan]

I just completed the Clarke Belt Mission. Its objective was placing a ring of six equally-spaced keostationary satellites in orbit.

They all have a 6 hour period (to 1 second precision). I used MechJeb to fine-tune the orbits (although I had to manually correct the inclination of two of them for MechJeb would incorrectly determine the ascending/descending nodes it seems).

[Pipcard]

I did that with my "Songbird" satellite network. But they weren't exactly equidistant. And since they didn't have orbits with exactly zero eccentricity that lasted exactly 6 hours, they eventually drifted from their original positions. But when I first completed the network, I thought that it was close enough.

Edited September 30, 2013 by Pipcard

[Meithan]

I did that with my "Songbird" satellite network. But they weren't exactly equidistant. And since they didn't have orbits that lasted exactly 6 hours, they eventually drifted from their original positions. But when I first completed the network, I thought that it was close enough.

How long did it take for them to noticeably drift apart?

[AlamoVampire]

okay, I have gotta ask it. I can get satellites into a kerstationary orbit, but, I can never figure out how to do more than 1 at a time, let alone if I do more than 1, how to space them so nicely. any tips/advice?

[Meithan]

okay, I have gotta ask it. I can get satellites into a kerstationary orbit, but, I can never figure out how to do more than 1 at a time, let alone if I do more than 1, how to space them so nicely. any tips/advice?

I used

, adapted for six satellites instead of three. I took them all to orbit together attached to a single carrier rocket:

Then, I put the carrier rocket on an orbit with an apoapsis at the keosynchronous altitude and the periapsis such that the period of the orbit is exactly 5 hours:

On the first apoapsis, I release the first satellite, and it performs a brief burn to circularize and increase its period to 6 h. Five hour laters, the carrier returns to apoapsis, but it's one hour ahead of the first satellite:

I then release the second and boost it to keosynchronous orbit, repeating the process for it and the rest. At each apoapsis, the carrier is one hour ahead of the last satellite (one sixth of the satellite's orbit).

[Vlk]

okay, I have gotta ask it. I can get satellites into a kerstationary orbit, but, I can never figure out how to do more than 1 at a time, let alone if I do more than 1, how to space them so nicely. any tips/advice?

I never did this, but i think its the same problem as rendezvous: you have to do the same, lower the orbit to make your ship orbit faster, and higher to make it go slower. When you are at the right position, you can correct the orbit again to be kerstationary. I guess it takes some time (or skill) to make it more precise.

[Meithan]

I never did this, but i think its the same problem as rendezvous: you have to do the same, lower the orbit to make your ship orbit faster, and higher to make it go slower. When you are at the right position, you can correct the orbit again to be kerstationary. I guess it takes some time (or skill) to make it more precise.

I don't think I could ever get them so well spaced launching them separately. I mean I'm sure it's possible, but it requires skills beyond my own. No, the trick is using a delivery orbit with a smaller period. See my last post (which has a link to Scott Manley's tutorial -- the clever idea is his).

Edited September 30, 2013 by Meithan

[Vlk]

Clever and those pictures helped to understand it well too

After i noticed that you already answered, i wanted to delete my comment, but there is only option for edit it.