基于SBV传感器的地球同步带目标监视系统星座设计

以天基可见光(Space-BasedVisible,SBV)传感器实现对整个地球同步带的监视为研究背景,对监视系统星座构型进行分析与设计.在分析三种观测模式优劣的基础上,给出了最优观测模式;导出了监视卫星轨道高度与搜索栅栏参数之间的关系,并以此确定了监视系统轨道高度的可选范围;通过分析影响天基可见光传感器观测时段和操作策略的因素,给出了SBV传感器的最优观测时段及成像时间的分配原则;在分析单星和双星监视系统方案覆盖率与重访次数的基础上,给出了监视系统卫星数目和搜索栅栏大小的选取原则以及满足回归性的双星监视系统轨道高度选取范围.研究结果表明,监视卫星经过天极附近时采用pinchpoints观测模式可有效提高对较大倾角地球同步轨道目标的覆盖能力,其轨道采用降交点在06:00LT或18:00LT时的太阳同步圆轨道,高度约在615～850km,且在此范围内有6条轨道满足星座回归性要求.      

基于正弦拟合的空间目标短弧关联算法

星敏感器是一种高精度姿态传感器，具有断续拍摄空间目标的能力，可作为空间目标监视平台。将星敏感器断续观测的短弧准确关联是实现空间目标精确定轨的前提。通过对空间目标的大量观测数据统计发现，空间目标的赤纬随赤经的变化始终满足一条周期为360°的正弦曲线且峰值与轨道倾角有关。对新旧航迹的赤经赤纬变化规律进行研究，提出一种基于正弦拟合的空间目标短弧关联算法，避免了空间目标初定轨的步骤，节约了算法运行时间。仿真中观测时长最短为50s，通过对目标密集的GEO带增加额外约束，可区分倾角相差0.01°的轨道。当航迹段间隔3h时，3组噪声水平目标关联的准确率均达90%以上。     

针对多个地球静止轨道目标的巡游轨道设计

运行在螺旋巡游轨道上的航天器无需施加控制力就可以长期巡游在指定轨道附近,利用该特点,克服地基目标监视系统的不足,可提高空间目标监视能力.在现有的设计基础之上,改进对地球静止轨道多个目标螺旋巡游轨道的初始轨道设计;通过施加控制提出两种可以对地球静止轨道上多个目标进行绕飞观测的螺旋巡游轨道设计;通过仿真验证,对比二者各自的优势.     

一种星下点精确重访约束下的轨道设计方法

针对给定星下点的精确重访轨道设计,提出了一种已知两星下点精确重访约束下的圆回归轨道设计方法。分析了卫星的地心矢量同星下点地心矢量的关系,将精确星下点重访约束轨道设计问题转换为惯性坐标系内的一个动矢量同动坐标系内一个定矢量在惯性系下的重合问题。建立了不同轨道参数各自对应的目标函数,通过对目标函数零点的搜寻确定相应轨道参数,完成轨道设计。计算及仿真结果表明,所提出的构造目标函数并搜索零点的方法能够设计出满足约束条件的轨道,达到了预期目标。     

区域机动目标普查监视小卫星组网设计与仿真

针对海洋机动目标任务规划难、搜索难度大的特点,设计了一种面向海洋热点区域机动目标搜索监视的卫星组网星座。首先,根据机动目标搜索任务的特点,建立考虑时空约束条件的卫星成像条带拼接搜索策略;其次,根据机动目标搜索策略,设计了一种高时间分辨率组网星座构型;最后,构建以最小组网卫星侧摆角度和任务观测时间为优化目标的鲁棒模型,采用遗传算法对组网卫星进行优化求解,并给出算法实现流程。仿真结果表明,该卫星组网星座能够有效完成对目标区域机动目标覆盖监视,为热点区域海洋机动目标监视任务提供了一定的方法支撑。     

地球同步轨道带动态监视光学系统样机及试验观测结果

地球同步轨道上目标数量多，运动形式多样.为了保障航天活动的安全，有必要开展地球同步轨道目标的动态监测，及时掌握发生在中国专属地球同步轨道带的空间事件.2015年12月地球同步轨道带动态监视光学系统样机正式安装在中国丽江高美古观测站.2015年12月至2016年2月，利用该样机对台站上空地球同步轨道带的样本天区开展了试验观测.结果表明，样机能够对27颗地球同步轨道目标进行连续监测，其中两颗为北美航空航天司令部未编目的目标；目标天文定位的内符精度在方位上约为4"，在俯仰上约为1".利用多圈次观测结果对轨道进行改进，在无轨控发生时，24h和48h点位预报精度在方位和俯仰上分别优于9"和2".以3颗GEO目标为例，通过实测资料对轨道变化事件进行了初步分析和验证.      

地气光辐射对空间目标成像特性影响分析

为分析地气光辐射对空间目标成像特性的影响,以地球同步轨道(GEO)卫星搭载的可见光成像器为探测平台,利用卫星工具包(STK)设计高椭圆轨道(HEO)及近地轨道(LEO)目标运动场景,根据空间目标、地球、太阳、探测平台之间的位置关系,采用微元法建立空间目标与地气光背景等效星等模型,推导出空间目标信噪比(SNR)计算公式。分析了距离、角度参数变化对不同轨道空间目标、地气光背景等效星等及空间目标信噪比的影响。仿真结果表明:当探测平台距离空间目标较远时,地气光背景等效星等低于空间目标等效星等,地气光辐射比空间目标信号强。当地气光辐射进入和离开空间目标探测视场时,空间目标信噪比最大,该时间段是进行空间目标探测的最佳“观测窗口”。仿真得出的空间目标信噪比值为空间目标探测识别提供了理论计算依据。      

低轨目标短弧关联的稳健方法

未来大量低轨星座部署一旦完成，将会对传统的空间目标监视提出更高的要求.广角光学望远镜系统具有广域监视效果，可以同时观测大量目标.但是广角望远镜的观测数据大部分属于“短弧”观测数据，单次观测无法进行空间目标的初始轨道确定.目前有效的解决方案是对光学观测弧段进行准确关联，融合多组观测数据进行初定轨.本文以容许域方法为基础，通过优化拟合两段观测短弧的轨道，结合卡方检验，确定不同观测弧段之间的关联性.其次详细描述了对于低轨目标，用仅测角观测数据进行关联的时候，存在的病态性问题.最后，针对低轨目标短弧关联错误率高的问题，提出了用角度误差特性规律进行误关联识别的方法.误关联的准确识别有效地提高了对于低轨空间目标仅光学观测序列的关联成功率，为后续的空间目标编目提供了有效的数据支撑.     

星载天线传感器优化部署的均匀设计方法

为提高模态密集大型星载天线在轨模态参数辨识精度,提出基于均匀设计的遗传算法对传感器数量和位置进行优化部署。根据模态空间H₂范数确定参振模态阶数;分别以测量信息正交性和能量最大为优化目标,引入均匀设计方法对传感器数量、种群规模、交叉概率和变异概率4个组合参数进行选取;采用特征实现算法进行在轨模态参数辨识研究。数学仿真表明：所提出的方法可以有效解决传感器数量和位置的优化部署问题,避免了以往人为经验选取参数时存在的主观性和盲目性问题。     

太阳高纬探测器的借力飞行轨道设计

行星借力飞行技术可以节省深空探测任务的能量消耗.针对借助内行星引力向太阳高纬度发射探测器这一科学任务,分别以金星和地球为借力星体,运用圆锥曲线拼接法,通过求解兰伯特问题绘制能量等高线图,搜索多天体交会发射机会,设计探测器与借力体轨道周期之比为1∶ 1或2∶ 3的多次借力行星际轨道,获得相对黄道面成大倾角的目标轨道.分析表明,采用多天体交会借力相比单天体借力可大大降低发射能量;3次借用金星或者地球的引力可以使探测器轨道相对黄道面的倾角达到30°左右;3次地球借力轨道性能为最优,需要的地球发射能量更低,而且飞行器进入目标轨道之前的转移时间较短.      

Space debris mitigation strategies and practices in geosynchronous transfer orbits

Missions to geosynchronous orbits remain one of the most important elements of space launch traffic, accounting for 40% of all missions to Earth orbit and beyond during the four-year period 2000–2003. The vast majority of these missions leave one or more objects in geosynchronous transfer orbits (GTOs), contributing on a short-term or long-term basis to the space debris population. National and international space debris mitigation guidelines seek to curtail the accumulation of debris in orbits which penetrate the regions of low Earth orbit and of geosynchronous orbit. The orbital lifetime of objects in GTO can be greatly influenced by the initial values of perigee, inclination, and right ascension of the orbital plane, leading to orbital lifetimes of from less than one month to more than 100 years. An examination of the characteristic GTOs employed by launch vehicles from around the world has been conducted. The consequences of using perigees above 300 km and super-synchronous apogees, typically above 40,000 km, have been identified. In addition, the differences in orbital behavior of launch vehicle stages and mission-related debris in GTOs have been investigated. Greater coordination and cooperation between space launch service providers and spacecraft designers and owners could significantly improve overall compliance with guidelines to mitigate the accumulation of debris in Earth orbit.     

Bayesian linking of geosynchronous orbital debris tracks as seen by the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope

We describe a Bayesian sampling model for linking and constraining orbit models from angular observations of “streaks” in optical telescope images. Our algorithm is particularly suited to situations where the observation times are small fractions of the orbital periods of the observed objects or when there is significant confusion of objects in the observation field. We use Markov Chain Monte Carlo to sample from the joint posterior distribution of the parameters of multiple orbit models (up to the number of observed tracks) and parameters describing which tracks are linked with which orbit models. Using this algorithm, we forecast the constraints on geosynchronous (GEO) debris orbits achievable with the planned Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST). Because of the short 15 s exposure times, preliminary orbit determinations of GEO objects from LSST will have large and degenerate errors on the orbital elements. Combined with the expected crowded fields of GEO debris it will be challenging to reliably link orbital tracks in LSST observations given the currently planned observing cadence.     

Feasibility of performing space surveillance tasks with a proposed space-based optical architecture

Under ESA contract an industrial consortium including Aboa Space Research Oy (ASRO), the Astronomical Institute of the University of Bern (AIUB), and the Dutch National Aerospace Laboratory (NLR), proposed the observation concept, developed a suitable sensor architecture, and assessed the performance of a space-based optical (SBO) telescope in 2005. The goal of the SBO study was to analyse how the existing knowledge gap in the space debris population in the millimetre and centimetre regime may be closed by means of a passive optical instrument. The SBO instrument was requested to provide statistical information on the space debris population in terms of number of objects and size distribution. The SBO instrument was considered to be a cost-efficient with 20 cm aperture and 6° field-of-view and having flexible integration requirements. It should be possible to integrate the SBO instrument easily as a secondary payload on satellites launched into low-Earth orbits (LEO), or into geostationary orbit (GEO). Thus the selected mission concept only allowed for fix-mounted telescopes, and the pointing direction could be requested freely. Since 2007 ESA focuses space surveillance and tracking activities in the Space Situational Awareness (SSA) preparatory program. Ground-based radars and optical telescopes are studied for the build-up and maintenance of a catalogue of objects. In this paper we analyse how the proposed SBO architecture could contribute to the space surveillance tasks survey and tracking. We assume that the SBO instrumentation is placed into a circular sun-synchronous orbit at 800 km altitude. We discuss the observation conditions of objects at higher altitude, and select an orbit close to the terminator plane. A pointing of the sensor orthogonal to the orbital plane with optimal elevation slightly in positive direction (0° and +5°) is found optimal for accessing the entire GEO regime within one day, implying a very good coverage of controlled objects in GEO, too. Simulations using ESA’s Program for Radar and Optical Observation Forecasting (PROOF) in the version 2005 and a GEO reference population extracted from DISCOS revealed that the proposed pointing scenario provides low phase angles together with low angular velocities of the objects crossing the field-of-view. Radiometric simulations show that the optimal exposure time is 1–2 s, and that spherical objects in GEO with a diameter of below 1 m can be detected. The GEO population can be covered under proper illumination nearly completely, but seasonal drops of the coverage are possible. Subsequent observations of objects are on average at least every 1.5 days, not exceeding 3 days at maximum. A single observation arc spans 3° to 5° on average. Using a simulation environment that connects PROOF to AIUB’s program system CelMech we verify the consistency of the initial orbit determination for five selected test objects on subsequent days as a function of realistic astrometric noise levels. The initial orbit determination is possible. We define requirements for a correlator process essential for catalogue build-up and maintenance. Each single observation should provide an astrometric accuracy of at least 1”–1.5” so that the initially determined orbits are consistent within a few hundred kilometres for the semi-major axis, 0.01 for the eccentricity, and 0.1° for the inclination.     

GEO/IGSO混合区域导航星座的设计与优化算法

区域导航星座能够以较低成本和较短时间获得目标区域导航能力，且地球同步轨道是构建非极区区域导航星座的重要轨道类型。提出一种基于GEO（地球静止轨道）和IGSO（倾斜地球同步轨道）的区域导航星座设计方法。基于星下点轨迹特性构造对称星座设计参数和优化参数集，并考虑地球扁率长期摄动影响，计算星座轨道参数。以导航服务区的统计GDOP（几何精度因子）为目标函数，利用差分进化算法构建星座优化模型。以印度IRNSS的7星星座为例，仿真检验了设计和优化算法的正确性，讨论了IRNSS星座优化构型和轨道类型选取。本方法采用的对称星座设计参数少，能够提升GEO/IGSO混合区域导航星座的全局优化效率，为后续非对称星座快速提供最佳星数和构型设计。     

Collision probability and spacecraft disposition in the geostationary orbit

Since 1963 approximately 300 satellites have been launched into the geostationary orbit, followed possibly by another additional 200 satellites up to the year 2000. Ground surveillance with radar and optical sensors able to detect objects of 1 m minimum size in the geostationary ring indicates a total population of several hundred which includes active and defunct satellites and spent upper stages. In addition, a population of untrackable objects is conjectured, whose size can only be estimated, possibly several thousand of smaller objects.

The purpose of this paper is to review the long-term evolution of orbits in the geostationary ring and at higher altitude, the collision probabilities and disposition options.

The major perturbations are considered including attitude-orbit cross-coupling effects which could cause secular orbit perturbations.

Collision probabilities for current and projected populations are reviewed considering different approaches, such as a deterministic treatment of the uncontrolled population and a stochastic modeling for the controlled satellites. Also, colocation, that is sharing of the same longitude slot by several operational satellites, is a potential source for collision, if no preventive measures are taken.

As regards spacecraft disposition options, the conclusion is that reorbiting is currently the only practical measure to safeguard the geostationary orbit. In this recommended procedure the defunct satellites are inserted into a so-called graveyard orbit, located suffieciently high above the geostationary orbit.     

Modeling of LEO orbital debris populations for ORDEM2008

The NASA Orbital Debris Engineering Model, ORDEM2000, is in the process of being updated to a new version: ORDEM2008. The data-driven ORDEM covers a spectrum of object size from 10 μm to greater than 1 m, and ranging from LEO (low Earth orbit) to GEO (geosynchronous orbit) altitude regimes. ORDEM2008 centimeter-sized populations are statistically derived from Haystack and HAX (the Haystack Auxiliary) radar data, while micron-sized populations are estimated from shuttle impact records. Each of the model populations consists of a large number of orbits with specified orbital elements, the number of objects on each orbit (with corresponding uncertainty), and the size, type, and material assignment for each object. This paper describes the general methodology and procedure commonly used in the statistical inference of the ORDEM2008 LEO debris populations. Major steps in the population derivations include data analysis, reference-population construction, definition of model parameters in terms of reference populations, linking model parameters with data, seeking best estimates for the model parameters, uncertainty analysis, and assessment of the outcomes. To demonstrate the population-derivation process and to validate the Bayesian statistical model applied in the population derivations throughout, this paper uses illustrative examples for the special cases of large-size (>1 m, >32 cm, and >10 cm) populations that are tracked by SSN (the Space Surveillance Network) and also monitored by Haystack and HAX radars operating in a staring mode.     

Comparative analysis of global optical observability of satellites in LEO

With a growing number of resident space objects (RSOs), the facilities for near-Earth space surveillance have to cope with increasing workload. It also applies to low-cost small optical surveillance facilities which may present regional, national and global networks. Improved methods of planning and scheduling optical telescopes are required to use these instruments efficiently. Today, optical observations are only feasible if the following quite stringent requirements are met: the object should be illuminated by sunlight, and it should be above while the Sun is below the observer’s horizon. For different orbits, these preconditions result in varying degrees of the space object observability at various ground-based sites. Certainly, satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO) are particularly difficult to observe. This study aims at developing a new technique for assessing observability of a satellite in different types of orbits – namely, low, medium and high Earth orbits, imaging of the opportunity for its visibility in respective diagrams and their analysing for the existing near-Earth population of RSOs. Unlike other researches, wherein one or several observational stations have been chosen as target sites for in-depth analyses of visibility of all the satellites or just the selected ones, the present study focuses on examining the probability of optical surveillance of satellites in a certain orbit from any locations worldwide. It offers considerable scope for automation of surveillance planning and scheduling optical surveillance networks.     

An Improved Double r-iteration IOD Method for GEO UCTs Based on SBSS System

The purpose of initial orbit determination, especially in the case of angles-only data for observation, is to obtain an initial estimate that is close enough to the true orbit to enable subsequent precision orbit determination processing to be successful. However, the classical angles-only initial orbit determination methods cannot deal with the observation data whose Earth-central angle is larger than 360°. In this paper, an improved double r-iteration initial orbit determination method to deal with the above case is presented to monitor geosynchronous Earth orbit objects for a spacebased surveillance system. Simulation results indicate that the improved double r-iteration method is feasible, and the accuracy of the obtained initial orbit meets the requirements of re-acquiring the object.