Small satellite's role in future hyperspectral Earth observation missions

Along with various advanced satellite onboard sensors, an important place in the near future will belong to hyperspectral instruments, considered as suitable for different scientific, commercial and military missions. As was demonstrated over the last decade, hyperspectral Earth observations can be provided by small satellites at considerably lower costs and shorter timescales, even though with some limitations on resolution, spectral response, and data rate. In this work the requirements on small satellites with imaging hyperspectral sensors are studied. Physical and technological limitations of hyperspectral imagers are considered. A mathematical model of a small satellite with a hyperspectral imaging spectrometer system is developed. The ability of the small satellites of different subclasses (micro- and mini-) to obtain hyperspectral images with a given resolution and quality is examined. As a result of the feasibility analysis, the constraints on the main technical parameters of hyperspectral instruments suitable for application onboard the small satellites are outlined. Comparison of the data for designed and planned instruments with simulation results validates the presented approach to the estimation of the small satellite size limitations. Presented analysis was carried out for sensors with conventional filled aperture optics.     

Influence of Microaccelerations on the Impurity Distribution in the InSb:Te Crystals Grown in Orbital Flights by the Method of Floating Zone Melting

The periodicity of the structure of impurity heterogeneities in the longitudinal section of an indium antimonide monocrystal doped by tellurium (InSb:Te) is investigated. The monocrystal was grown by the method of floating zone melting onboard the Foton-3 satellite. It is shown that the frequencies of harmonic components of heterogeneities converted into the time region coincide with frequencies of microaccelerations in the range 0–0.005 Hz arising onboard the Foton satellites. This fact confirms the hypothesis stated previously that residual microaccelerations onboard the satellite were the cause of occurrence of indicated periodicities.     

实施卫星激光定轨的建议

随着卫星对地观测分辨率的不断提高 ,对卫星在轨位置精度的要求也越来越高。采用星载激光后向反射镜阵列与卫星激光测距定轨方法 ,可以获得厘米级的定轨精度。文中针对我国国情 ,建议我国的导航卫星和对地观测卫星采用激光定轨技术 ,并提出了创立卫星激光定轨条件的实施建议。     

低轨互联网卫星在轨单粒子翻转分析及防护措施

空间单粒子翻转（SEU）对于在轨卫星寿命和可靠性有着较大的影响,然而,针对低轨互联网卫星1000～1200 km的典型极地轨道空间SEU,目前缺少在轨试验验证结果。文章对某型号的两颗卫星在轨7个月以来的SEU事件记录数据进行处理和分析,给出互联网卫星1050～1425 km不同轨道高度上的SEU事件发生的频度、区域及概率,结合在轨运行情况提出互联网卫星在轨单粒子翻转的软硬件防护设计措施。数据表明,在当前低轨互联网卫星的典型轨道高度上,对于抗单粒子翻转阈值为0.7 MeV·cm2/mg的低阈值SRAM器件,在轨SEU事件大部分发生在SAA区域,发生概率约为7.63×10-7 bit-1·d-1。结合卫星在轨空间防护设计经验,通过加强元器件选用控制、软硬件冗余设计、关键器件限流等措施,可以有效提高低轨互联网卫星的在轨可靠性。     

A Study of the Destruction of Spacecraft Surfaces at Contact Interactions with Microparticles of the Space Environment

The results of studying the high-velocity impact interactions of a particle flux of space’s meteoric background with satellites have been presented. The effects that arises during the microparticle motion in the material have been described; the models of solid particle interactions with spacecraft’s onboard hardware protection have been presented. The experimental and analytical dependences have been given. The basic factors have been revealed, and their effect on the erosion wear of satellite’s surface has been estimated. The dependences for calculating the rectilinear (horizontal, inclined and vertical) sections of satellite’s surface have been given. The presented dependences represent the results of experimental and analytical studies.     

用于对地观测定位的编队飞行卫星群轨道构形设计

编队飞行卫星群是一组小卫星,它们具有短的相对距离、相等的轨道半长轴和微小差别的其它轨道要素,它们形成相互伴随运动,并且具有一定的构形。提出将编队飞行卫星群的轨道设计技术应用于对地观测定位卫星系统中。根据设想的要求,针对由四颗伴随卫星围绕基准卫星(或一个虚拟的中心)飞行的轨道设计案例,初步分析了编队飞行卫星群的构形保持,地球引力和大气阻力的摄动影响等问题。     

Control of satellite imaging formations in multi-body regimes

Libration point orbits may be ideal locations for satellite imaging formations. Therefore, control of these arrays in multi-body regimes is critical. A continuous feedback control algorithm is developed that maintains a formation of satellites in motion that is bounded relative to a halo orbit. This algorithm is derived based on the dynamic characteristics of the phase space near periodic orbits in the circular restricted three-body problem (CR3BP). By adjusting parameters of the control algorithm appropriately, satellites in the formation follow trajectories that are particularly advantageous to imaging arrays. Image reconstruction and coverage of the (u, v) plane are simulated for interferometric satellite configurations, demonstrating potential applications of the algorithm and the resulting motion.     

国外中继卫星对航天器交会对接的测控通信支持

中继卫星系统的天基测控通信是近代航天技术的重大突破,它能够有效地满足航天器交会对接的测控通信需要。文章分析了美国＂跟踪与数据中继卫星系统＂（TDRSS）和欧洲＂阿特米斯＂（ARTEMIS）中继卫星对＂自动转移飞行器＂（ATV）与＂国际空间站＂（ISS）交会对接任务的测控通信支持,总结了国外中继卫星系统支持航天器交会对接...     

Hydrodynamic Approach to Modeling the Thermal Plasma Distribution around a Moving Charged Satellite

The electric field distribution around a charged satellite in a rarefied magnetospheric plasma influences greatly the densities and trajectories of particles measured by onboard instruments. The simulation of macroparameters of thermal plasma near the moving charged satellite, which is necessary for correction of experimental measurements, encounters considerable computational difficulties. In this work, two three-dimensional models of the electric field distribution around the satellite are considered under the conditions when the Debye length is comparable to the geometrical size of the spacecraft. In the first model a system of hydrodynamic equations of continuity and motion was used, which was solved jointly with the Poisson equation. In the second model the hydrodynamic equation of motion was used for analyzing the motion of large particles by means of the method of particles in a cell. The numerical algorithms and the results of calculations of the potential near the satellite, as well as the distributions of densities of electrons and ions and of volume charge, are considered. The results of test calculations for some situations in the ambient plasma are presented, and the influence of the spatial electric field distribution on the thermal plasma measurements is considered.     

IGSO和MEO卫星用于TWSTFT的卫星运动误差研究

针对倾斜地球同步轨道（IGSO）和中高地球轨道（MEO）卫星用于卫星双向时间传递（TWSTFT）时的卫星运动所引入的误差进行了研究,并对IGSO和MEO卫星应用于TWSTFT的可行性进行了分析。首先推导了TWSTFT中的卫星运动误差公式,并利用两行根数（TLE）对目前在轨的IGSO和MEO卫星的运动进行了计算,在此基础...     

Reconstruction of spacecraft rotational motion using a Kalman filter

Quasi-static microaccelerations of four satellites of the Foton series (nos. 11, 12, M-2, M-3) were monitored as follows. First, according to measurements of onboard sensors obtained in a certain time interval, spacecraft rotational motion was reconstructed in this interval. Then, along the found motion, microacceleration at a given onboard point was calculated according to the known formula as a function of time. The motion was reconstructed by the least squares method using the solutions to the equations of satellite rotational motion. The time intervals in which these equations make reconstruction possible were from one to five orbital revolutions. This length is increased with the modulus of the satellite angular velocity. To get an idea on microaccelerations and satellite motion during an entire flight, the motion was reconstructed in several tens of such intervals. This paper proposes a method for motion reconstruction suitable for an interval of arbitrary length. The method is based on the Kalman filter. We preliminary describe a new version of the method for reconstructing uncontrolled satellite rotational motion from magnetic measurements using the least squares method, which is essentially used to construct the Kalman filter. The results of comparison of both methods are presented using the data obtained on a flight of the Foton M-3.     

Attractive manifold-based adaptive solar attitude control of satellites in elliptic orbits

The paper presents a novel noncertainty-equivalent adaptive (NCEA) control system for the pitch attitude control of satellites in elliptic orbits using solar radiation pressure (SRP). The satellite is equipped with two identical solar flaps to produce control moments. The adaptive law is based on the attractive manifold design using filtered signals for synthesis, which is a modification of the immersion and invariance (I&I) method. The control system has a modular controller–estimator structure and has separate tunable gains. A special feature of this NCEA law is that the trajectories of the satellite converge to a manifold in an extended state space, and the adaptive law recovers the performance of a deterministic controller. This recovery of performance cannot be obtained with certainty-equivalent adaptive (CEA) laws. Simulation results are presented which show that the NCEA law accomplishes precise attitude control of the satellite in an elliptic orbit, despite large parameter uncertainties.     

Electron flux variations at altitudes of 600–800 km in the second half of 2014. preliminary results of an experiment using RELEC equipment onboard the satellite <Emphasis Type="Italic">VERNOV</Emphasis>

The results of measurements of fluxes and spectra carried out using the RELEC (relativistic electrons) equipment onboard the VERNOV satellite in the second half of 2014 are presented. The VERNOV satellite was launched on July 8, 2014 in a sun-synchronous orbit with an altitude from 640 to 830 km and an inclination of 98.4°. Scientific information from the satellite was first received on July 20, 2014. The comparative analysis of electron fluxes using data from RELEC and using experimental data on the electron detection by satellites Elektro-L (positioned at a geostationary orbit) and Meteor-M no. 2 (positioned at a circular polar orbit at an altitude of about 800 km as the VERNOV satellite) will make it possible to study the spatial distribution pattern of energetic electrons in near-Earth space in more detail.     

Identification of sources of Pc1 geomagnetic pulsations on the basis of proton aurora observations

The relationship between proton aurora and geomagnetic pulsations Pc1, which are an indicator of development of ion-cyclotron instability in the equatorial magnetosphere, are studied on the basis of the observations of proton aurora from the IMAGE satellite, observations of particle fluxes onboard the low-orbiting NOAA satellites, and geomagnetic pulsation observations at the Lovozero observatory. A conclusion is drawn that the subauroral spots in the proton emission projected into the magnetosphere near the plasmapause are two-dimensional images at the ionospheric “screen” of the region of intense scattering of energetic protons into the loss cone at the development of an ion-cyclotron instability.     

SSETO—Small Satellite for Exoplanetary Transit Observation

SSETO is the result of a phase-A study in context of the small satellite program of the University of Stuttgart that demonstrates the capability of a university institute to build a small satellite with a budget of 5 million Euro. The satellite will be capable of observing exoplanets in a Neptune–Earth scale and obtaining data of interstellar dust. Due to a system failure of NASA?s Kepler mission, there is currently (October 2013) a lack of satellites searching for exoplanets. This paper details the design of subsystems and payload, as well as the required test tasks in accordance with the mission profile at a conceptional level. The costs for standard spacecraft testing and integration tasks are included, but not those of launch, ground support, operations and engineer working hours.     

长期贮存对卫星典型结构件的形变影响分析

某大型卫星经历了长期的地面贮存,从结构生产完成至卫星发射历时9年。文章提取此卫星承力筒、结构板的工程数据,与同类型其他卫星的数据进行对比分析,总结出长期贮存后卫星承力筒和典型结构板——对地板的形变规律,并探讨影响结构变形的原因。研究结果可为后续卫星的贮存设计、贮存试验以及贮存后影响分析提供指导和借鉴。     

Optimal control of a spinning double-pyramid Earth-pointing tethered formation

The dynamics and control of a tethered satellite formation for Earth-pointing observation missions is considered. For most practical applications in Earth orbit, a tether formation must be spinning in order to maintain tension in the tethers. It is possible to obtain periodic spinning solutions for a triangular formation whose initial conditions are close to the orbit normal. However, these solutions contain significant deviations of the satellites on a sphere relative to the desired Earth-pointing configuration. To maintain a plane of satellites spinning normal to the orbit plane, it is necessary to utilize “anchors”. Such a configuration resembles a double-pyramid. In this paper, control of a double-pyramid tethered formation is studied. The equations of motion are derived in a floating orbital coordinate system for the general case of an elliptic reference orbit. The motion of the satellites is derived assuming inelastic tethers that can vary in length in a controlled manner. Cartesian coordinates in a rotating reference frame attached to the desired spin frame provide a simple means of expressing the equations of motion, together with a set of constraint equations for the tether tensions. Periodic optimal control theory is applied to the system to determine sets of controlled periodic trajectories by varying the lengths of all interconnecting tethers (nine in total), as well as retrieval and simple reconfiguration trajectories. A modal analysis of the system is also performed using a lumped mass representation of the tethers.     

高低轨双星时频差无源定位精度

高低轨卫星联合定位是提高地面辐射源无源定位精度的有效方法。从时差基线、速度差增加方面分析了高低轨双星定位精度相对同轨卫星定位精度高的原因,推导出高低轨双星时频差定位误差分布表达式,分析了高低轨联合定位适用的时频差测量方法及其测量精度。仿真分析结果表明:在低轨卫星星下点附近较大范围内,定位精度达到百米量级。验证了双星相对位置变化、时频差测量误差、高低轨卫星自身位置速度测量误差等因素对高低轨双星定位精度的影响。     

Turbulent fluctuations of plasma and magnetic field parameters in the magnetosheath and the low-latitude boundary layer formation: Multisatellite observations on March 2, 1996

The results of simultaneous analysis of plasma and magnetic field characteristics measured on the INTERBALL/Tail Probe, WIND and Geotail satellites on March 2, 1996, are presented. During these observations the INTERBALL/Tail Probe crossed the low-latitude boundary layer, and the WIND and Geotail satellites measured the solar wind’s and magnetosheath’s parameters, respectively. The plasma and magnetic field characteristics in these regions have been compared. The data of the Corall, Electron, and MIF instruments on the INTERBALL/Tail Probe satellite are analyzed. Fluctuations of the magnetic field components and plasma velocity in the solar wind and magnetosheath, measured onboard the WIND and Geotail satellites, are compared. The causes resulting in appearance of plasma jet flows in the low-latitude boundary layer are analyzed. The amplitude of magnetic field fluctuations in the magnetosheath for a studied magnetosphere boundary crossing is shown to exceed the magnetic field value below the magnetopause near the cusp. The possibility of local violation of pressure balance on the magnetopause is discussed, as well as penetration of magnetosheath plasma into the magnetosphere, as a result of magnetic field and plasma flux fluctuations in the magnetosheath.