SKSIM - Station Keeping Simulation Computer Program Documentation. Updated Version November 1992

Abstract

This document describes the most recently updated version of a computer program which simulates the motion of a geostationary satellite influenced by perturbations and controlled by maneuvers according to certain station keeping strategies. The program allows the consideration of constraints imposed by the satellite configuration and errors of orbit determination and thrust execution. In the present form, 4 station keeping strategies are implemented. They can be replaced by alternative strategies by slight program modifications. Using simplified models for the orbit and the maneuvers, the running times are short so as to allow repeated simulations of several years of station keeping within a few minutes of computer time. The program is designed to optimize certain station keeping strategy parameters by iterative application of the simulation. Hence it can be a useful tool for test, design and optimization of station keeping strategies.