Every constellation launch injects a batch of satellites into nearly the same orbit. They don't arrive pre-spaced. Phasing maneuvers — tiny period differences — gradually walk each satellite to its designed slot.
Every constellation launch injects a batch of satellites into nearly the same orbit. They don't arrive pre-spaced. Phasing maneuvers — tiny period differences — gradually walk each satellite to its designed slot.
Phasing deliberately exploits Kepler's third law: period scales with altitude. Operators use this constantly to position and reposition satellites.
Even with perfectly planned phasing burns, filling a shell is slow and careful — not an instantaneous switch-on.
During deployment, tracking signatures are uniquely recognizable.
When you see a train of satellites on Orbital Radar slowly spreading from a cluster, you're watching Kepler's third law used as a precision positioning tool.