Design of the mobile satellite communications constellations with common ground track

This paper, from the viewpoint characteristics of the mobile satellite ground track, discusses a method of designing of mobile satellite constellations with a common ground track., and also uses the method for China´s area coverage design by way of computer simulation and a specialized satellite communication tool. By choosing the satellite orbit period as one fourth of the sidereal day, the eccentricity as 0.158, and the orbital plane inclination as 63.4 degrees, only four satellites with a common ground track can cover China almost seamlessly, while the average elevation angle is greater than 48 degrees.