Description
Flight formation using differential drag for CubeSats has been key in unpropelled missions. While there are a variety of reports on this topic, uncertainties remain regarding its application in processes that require high precision and control execution at different stages of the mission. One such process is laser communication in the context of the ALIGN mission, where a "chief–deputy" formation is proposed, separated only by true anomaly. This study presents a sensitivity analysis for different initial orbit scenarios and identifies the limits of the flight formation. These limits are related to the initial orbital elements (OE), which depend solely on deployment conditions, and the early mission stages, which include free rotational state, no ground communication, no available OE, and no orbital information from the other satellite. Based on this, a mission strategy is proposed to create "chief–deputy" formation, gradually separate the satellites in true anomaly according to the distance required by the communication link, recover orbital eccentricity, and equalize altitudes. In parallel, the impact of atmospheric drag, solar radiation pressure, and gravitational disturbances on the required laser communication distance is evaluated.
