Formation dynamics in geostationary ring

A relative motion model for a satellite formation composed of two Earth-orbiting spacecraft located in the geostationary ring is developed taking into account major gravitational and non-gravitational forces. A previously existing model featuring perturbation due to J 2 is enhanced by the perturbations due to solar radiation pressure arising from unequal area-to-mass ratios, as well as the secular and long-periodic gravitational perturbations due to the Sun and the Moon. The extended relative motion model is validated using several typical formation geometries against a reference generated by numerical integration of the absolute orbits of the two spacecraft. The results of this work can find application in future on-orbit servicing and formation flying missions in near-geostationary orbit.