NSS (Navigation satellite system) provides the information for determining the position, velocity and time of users in real time using satellite-networking, and is classified into GNSS (Global NSS) and RNSS (Regional NSS). Although GNSS services for global users, the exactitude of provided information is dissatisfied with the degree required in modern systems such as unmanned system, autonomous navigation system for aircraft, ship and others, air-traffic control system. Especially, due to concern about the monopoly status of the countries operating it, some other countries have already considered establishing RNSS. The RNSS services for users within a specific area, however, it not only gives more precise information than those from GNSS, but also can be operated independently from the NSS of other countries. Thus, for Korean RNSS, this paper suggests the methodology to design the satellite constellation considering the regional features of Korean Peninsula. It intends to determine the orbits and the arrangement of navigation satellites for minimizing PDOP (Position dilution of precision). PGA (Parallel Genetic Algorithm) geared to solve this nonlinear optimization problem is proposed and STK (System tool kit) software is used for simulating their space flight. The PGA is composed of several GAs and iterates the process that they search the solution for a problem during the pre-specified generations, and then mutually exchange the superior solutions investigated by each GA. Numerical experiments were performed with increasing from four to seven satellites for Korean RNSS. When the RNSS was established by seven satellites, the time ratio that PDOP was measured to less than 5 (i.e. better than ‘Good’ level on the meaning of the PDOP value) was found to 94.3% and PDOP was always kept at 10 or less (i.e. better than ‘Moderate’ level).

In this study, we describe an analytical process for designing a low Earth orbit constellation for discontinuous regional coverage, to be used for a surveillance and reconnaissance space mission. The objective of this study was to configure a satellite constellation that targeted multiple areas near the Korean Peninsula. The constellation design forms part of a discontinuous regional coverage problem with a minimum revisit time. We first introduced an optimal inclination search algorithm to calculate the orbital inclination that maximizes the geometrical coverage of single or multiple ground targets. The common ground track (CGT) constellation pattern with a repeating period of one nodal day was then used to construct the rest of the orbital elements of the constellation. Combining these results, we present an analytical design process that users can directly apply to their own situation. For Seoul, for example, 39.0° was determined as the optimal orbital inclination, and the maximum and average revisit times were 58.1 min and 27.9 min for a 20-satellite constellation, and 42.5 min and 19.7 min for a 30-satellite CGT constellation, respectively. This study also compares the revisit times of the proposed method with those of a traditional Walker-Delta constellation under three inclination conditions: optimal inclination, restricted inclination by launch trajectories from the Korean Peninsula, and inclination for the sun-synchronous orbit. A comparison showed that the CGT constellation had the shortest revisit times with a non-optimal inclination condition. The results of this analysis can serve as a reference for determining the appropriate constellation pattern for a given inclination condition.