A satellite constellation can be defined as a number of similar satellites, of a similar type and function, designed to be in similar, complementary, orbits for a shared purpose, under shared control.
-- Satellite Constellation Networks

Multiple satellites, with coordinated movement around a larger mass: a satellite constellation. I hold two degrees thanks to simulating satellite constellations. I find them more interesting with intersatellite links.

Introductory presentations conducted with live demonstrations using SaVi:

• Constellations - orbital types, uses and advantages, International Workshop on Space and Satellite Communication 2008 (IWSSC '08), Toulouse, October 2008.
• Satellite applications workshop, International Space University, July 2006.

SaVi models Celestri

Software:

• SaVi Satellite constellation Visualization.
• ns satellite constellation plot scripts.

Web resources:

• related space law.
• satellite constellations using MPLS.
• rosette constellations - double surface coverage.
• Is O3b embracing polar coverage?
• satellite orbits diagram.
• Lloyd's satellite constellations.

Papers:

• Revisiting elliptical satellite orbits to enhance the O3b constellation, Lloyd Wood, Yuxuan Loua and Opeoluwa Olusola, Journal of the British Interplanetary Society, vol. 67, pp. 110-118, March 2014.
• SaVi: satellite constellation visualization, Lloyd Wood, First Annual CCSR Research Symposium, Centre for Communication Systems Research, 30 June 2011.
• Satellite constellation networks, Lloyd Wood, Chapter 2, Internetworking and Computing over Satellite Networks, Yongguang Zhang (ed.), Kluwer Academic Press, ISBN 1-4020-7424-7, pp. 13-34, March 2003.
• Internetworking with satellite constellations, Lloyd Wood, thesis for award of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), University of Surrey, June 2001.
• Managing diversity with handover to provide classes of service in satellite constellation networks, Lloyd Wood, George Pavlou and Barry Evans, 19th International Communication Satellite Systems Conference (ICSSC '01), vol. 3, session 35, no. 194, Toulouse, France, April 2001.
• Effects on TCP of routing strategies in satellite constellations, Lloyd Wood, George Pavlou and Barry Evans, IEEE Communications Magazine, vol. 39, no. 3, pp. 172-181, March 2001.
• IP routing issues in satellite constellation networks, Lloyd Wood, Antoine Clerget, Ilias Andrikopoulos, George Pavlou and Walid Dabbous, International Journal of Satellite Communications, vol. 19 no. 1, pp. 69-92, January/February 2001.
• Supporting group applications via satellite constellations with multicast, Lloyd Wood, Haitham Cruickshank and Zhili Sun, Sixth IEE Conference on Telecommunications (ICT '98), Edinburgh, March 1998.
• Network performance of non-geostationary constellations equipped with intersatellite links, Lloyd Wood, thesis for Master of Science (MSc) in Satellite Communication Engineering, University of Surrey, November 1995.

Our work with the CLEO Cisco router in Low Earth Orbit gave experience with the Disaster Monitoring Constellation.

Lloyd Wood (lloydwood@users.sourceforge.net)