SATELLITE CONSTELLATION DESIGN FOR THE SOLVE MISSION INVESTIGATING DIURNAL CYCLES OF VEGETATION PHENOMENA

This paper discusses the problem of finding an optimal satellite constellation for the SOLVE (Satellites Observing Lakes and Vegetation Environments) Mission. A key requirement of this mission is a temporal resolution of several observations per day. A semi-analytical approach is proposed. A few analytical design steps are identified in order to determine all orbital parameters, so that the constellation satisfies the requirements. The result is an easy to use tool which allows to study cost impact from given science requirements enabling a good understanding of the relation between temporal and spatial resolution and cost.