Abstract: In the case of finite thrust apogee maneuver for the geostationary satellite, the fuel consumption increases due to the long burn arc. Based on the impulse orbit transfer principle, the finite thrust multi-impulse apogee maneuver for the geostationary satellite is studied in this paper. The minimum fuel multi-impulse apogee maneuver strategy with the constraint of subsatellite point is obtained. The thrust direction and firing time of each maneuver and the optimal intermediate transition orbits are given. Simulation results validate the effectiveness of the proposed method.

Key words: impulse orbit transfer, geostationary satellite, finite thrust, apogee maneuver