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  • A better comsat system at half the cost of synchronous satellites

    Paper ID

    IAF-65-73

    author

    • W.F. Hilton

    company

    country

    England

    year

    1965

    abstract

    Although the synchronous orbit gives the cheapest transatlantic link, it is not necessarily the cheapest or best for a world-wide system. A new method of launching 9 satellites with 3 rockets into an inclined elliptical orbit gives continuous double coverage in civilized areas, and continuous triple coverage between latitudes 30°N and 50°N. This enables ground stations relaying long distance calls from satellite to satellite to be situated where expert maintenance can be cheaply recruited, in contrast to the 3 equatorial relay stations for the synchronous system of 6 satellites. The proposed system will function almost perfectly with any one of its satellites out of service; the synchronous system demands 6 rockets to launch 6 satellites to give similar service, just twice the launching cost. In order to make a telephone call, both users must have a telephone. Even a simple statistical analysis will show that the vast majority of the World’s telephone users are situated in North America, Europe, Russia and Japan. Thus the most important telephonic link between continents will provide communication round the Earth at a latitude of about 40°N. A small demand will arise in the Southern Hemisphere, and even less from the equatorial countries. The 24 hr synchronous orbit gives service to places in a given band of longitudes, but we have to find an orbit to give service in a given band of latitudes.