Single satellite orbital figure-of-merit

wThis paper investigates the properties of a new figure-of-merit for single-satellite orbits proposed by Draim: the coverage provided per unit of launch AV. This study limits orbits to critically inclined repeat ground track orbits. The coverage aspect of the figure-of-merit was investigated and found to exhibit complex behavior for certain cases. Coverage defined in this study is the time over a given satellite repeat period that the satellite is in view of a specified point on the ground. Constraints are placed on the elevation angle required for viewing the ground station. Through coverage maximization, several known orbits were reproduced and shown to be well designed in terms of coverage. The launch AV is calculated using analytic formulas, where the AV is used as a measure of launch cost. This figure-of-merit has potential for use by satellite system designers to compare the cost-effectiveness of different orbits to determine the optimal orbit for a single satellite and by extension, a constellation of satellites. Trends in the figure-of-merit were investigated with respect to repeat ground track pattern, ground station location, orbit eccentricity, and minimum elevation angle. Using the proposed figure-of-merit, various repeat ground track orbits were examined and compared to draw conclusions on the cost-effectiveness of each orbit.