METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR TRANSFERRING A SATELLITE FROM AN INITIAL ORBIT INTO A MISSION ORBIT

摘要

The invention relates to a system and method for transferring a satellite (10) from an initial orbit (3) into a mission orbit (62) Said method comprises the anchoring to the satellite of an external unit (20) having a tank containing a reserve of propellants. The system comprises an autonomous spacecraft (30) having an electric propulsion module and having a small internal reserve of propellants, located in a parking orbit (64) close to the initial orbit. The method comprises docking (74), in an initial orbit, of the spacecraft with the external unit attached to the satellite, so as to produce a fluidic connection of the propellant tank of the external unit to the propulsion module of the spacecraft; then transferring (75), by the electric propulsion module of the spacecraft thus supplied with propellants directly from the external unit, of the external unit and the satellite into the mission orbit, and the injection (76) of the satellite into said orbit.