Скачать или смотреть 6 spacecraft in eccentric, critically inclined 8 hour orbits

Earth coverage for a constellation of six spacecraft in 8 hour-orbits (perigee altitude 1000 km, apogee altitude 26755 km) at critical inclination (63.4 deg), with the perigee above the southern hemisphere (argument of perigee: 270 deg). The minimum elevation over the local horizon is 50 degrees.

Such constellations can be used for communications purposes, but also for advanced applications such as space based solar power. The advantage of using highly eccentric orbits at the critical inclination is that continuous coverage can be provided to specific limited regions, in this case 1.) Europe, 2.) the contiguous USA and Canada and 3.) Northern Asia, especially North-Eastern China, Korea and Japan.