Fast satellite-centric analytical algorithm for determining satellite coverage

摘要

The satellite coverage problem involves the determination of a given satellite's in-view and out-of-view times and durations for a given ground point. To perform global coverage, the planet is divided into an even grid in spherical coordinates. Assuming a minimum elevation from the ground to the satellite of interest, the satellite's ground footprint longitude width is determined analytically at a given latitude. Ignoring planetary triaxality, the footprint is assumed to be east-west symmetric. All grid points with the footprint satisfy line-of-sight geometric constraints. The process is repeated for every satellite at every time point, and coverage statistics are generated over the grid at the end.