低轨卫星倾斜轨道设计及优化

根据有效载荷性能和任务需求对低轨卫星的倾斜回归圆轨道设计进行了研究,以升交点赤经为参数,对1个回归周期内特定目标的覆盖性能指标进行了优化。算例表明:卫星对地面目标点的覆盖率可达0.977 5。如需对多个目标点或目标区域进行观测,可在此基础上增加目标点再作优化设计,以获得最佳覆盖性能。     

一种基于球面剖分的星座性能分析方法

在卫星星座优化设计与性能分析过程中,根据球面Delaunay三角网和Voronoi图的特性,首先研究了任意状态下星座空间几何构形划分方法,定义了卫星所属覆盖区域。然后,通过分析卫星星座和地面目标区域之间的几何关系,提出了星座对任意类型地面目标的最小观测仰角和平均观测仰角的确定性计算方法。在此基础上,分析了基于星座空间几何构形划分的卫星系统网络的时变特性,提出了星间通信链路快速建立方法。最后,以铱星系统为例,分析了该系统的对地覆盖能力和星间链路通信能力。实验结果表明该方法不仅可以准确、快速的评估卫星系统应用效能,同时能够为星座优化设计人员提供必要的决策支持。     

椭圆轨道卫星对地全球覆盖电推进控制

针对椭圆轨道卫星近/远地点的星下点对全球或特定纬度区域的访问问题，提出一种连续小推力下的对地覆盖控制策略。首先，推导了自然摄动对卫星拱线变化的影响，并探讨了进行小推力覆盖控制的必要性。然后，针对燃料消耗的优化问题，将控制方程展开成含傅里叶级数的形式，用以获得便于星上计算的解析形式的次优解，同时探讨了截取阶数与优化程度的关系。在进行拱线控制的同时，通过合理设置约束，对椭圆轨道的近地点高度进行保护，确保卫星安全运行。仿真结果表明，提出的方法能够以适当的燃料消耗代价实现椭圆轨道的近/远地点的全球覆盖控制或特定纬度区域的反复推扫，且控制力在可接受的范围内。     

Portable end-to-end ground system for low-cost mission support

This paper presents a revolutionary architecture of the end-to-end ground system to reduce overall mission support costs. The present ground system of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) is costly to operate, maintain, deploy, reproduce, and document. In the present climate of shrinking NASA budgets, this proposed architecture takes on added importance as it should dramatically reduce all of the above costs. Currently, the ground support functions (i.e., receiver, tracking, ranging, telemetry, command, monitor and control) are distributed among several subsystems that are housed in individual rack-mounted chassis. These subsystems can be integrated into one portable laptop system using established Multi Chip Module (MCM) packaging technology and object-based software libraries. The large scale integration of subsystems into a small portable system connected to the World Wide Web (WWW) will greatly reduce operations, maintenance and reproduction costs. Several of the subsystems can be implemented using Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) products further decreasing non-recurring engineering costs. The inherent portability of the system will open up new ways for using the ground system at the “point-of-use” site as opposed to maintaining several large centralized stations. This eliminates the propagation delay of the data to the Principal Investigator (PI), enabling the capture of data in real-time and performing multiple tasks concurrently from any location in the world. Sample applications are to use the portable ground system in remote areas or mobile vessels for real-time correlation of satellite data with earth-bound instruments; thus, allowing near real-time feedback and control of scientific instruments. This end-to-end portable ground system will undoubtedly create opportunities for better scientific observation and data acquisition.     

区域观察小卫星星座重构方法研究

在对地观测任务中，经过优化设计的卫星星座通常具有较强的适应能力。但是，当星座中某颗卫星失效或地面需求发生变化时，就需要进行星座重构，以恢复或增强对部分地区的观察能力。提出了小卫星区域观察组网的方法，重点探讨了在应急情况下区域观察小卫星星座的重构问题，研究了节省能量的卫星轨道机动方法，特别提出了保持轨道属性和星座基本构形的预置量机动方法，分析了应急机动星座重构的几种情况，给出了每种情况的星座重构策略。     

基于STK的GPS卫星可见性仿真分析

GPS卫星在现代信息化战争中的作用日趋重要。针对GPS的观测应用需求,以目前在轨的31颗GPS卫星为研究对象,分析GPS卫星轨道的特征,研究GPS卫星对地面系统的可见性。结合STK和Matlab软件进行仿真分析,为地面GPS观测系统的天线波束宽度、波束个数设计提供参考。     

Autonomous aerobraking for low-cost interplanetary missions

Aerobraking has previously been used to reduce the propellant required to deliver an orbiter to its desired final orbit. In principle, aerobraking should be possible around any target planet or moon having sufficient atmosphere to permit atmospheric drag to provide a portion of the mission ΔV, in lieu of supplying all of the required ΔV propulsively. The spacecraft is flown through the upper atmosphere of the target using multiple passes, ensuring that the dynamic pressure and thermal loads remain within the spacecraft's design parameters. NASA has successfully conducted aerobraking operations four times, once at Venus and three times at Mars. While aerobraking reduces the fuel required, it does so at the expense of time (typically 3–6 months), continuous Deep Space Network (DSN) coverage, and a large ground staff. These factors can result in aerobraking being a very expensive operational phase of the mission. However, aerobraking has matured to the point that much of the daily operation could potentially be performed autonomously onboard the spacecraft, thereby reducing the required ground support and attendant aerobraking related costs. To facilitate a lower-risk transition from ground processing to an autonomous capability, the NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC) has assembled a team of experts in aerobraking and interplanetary guidance and control to develop a high-fidelity, flight-like simulation. This simulation will be used to demonstrate the overall feasibility while exploring the potential for staff and DSN coverage reductions that autonomous aerobraking might provide. This paper reviews the various elements of autonomous aerobraking and presents an overview of the various models and algorithms that must be transformed from the current ground processing methodology to a flight-like environment. Additionally the high-fidelity flight software test bed, being developed from models used in a recent interplanetary mission, will be summarized.     

一种基于天文测速的火星捕获段天地联合导航方法

为提高火星捕获段探测器的导航精度,提出一种基于天文测速的天地联合导航方法。该方法在地面无线电测距、测速的基础上,引入探测器与恒星的视向速度作为新增观测量,采用扩展卡尔曼滤波(EKF)对探测器状态进行估计。理论分析与仿真结果均表明,与仅依靠地面无线电导航相比,采用基于天文测速的天地联合观测导航方法能有效提高探测器的位置与速度估计精度,且导航精度的提升效果与马尔柯夫最优估计理论的预测值有较好的吻合度。当天文测速精度与地面测速精度相当时,位置估计精度较地面无线电导航提高了近一倍。     

基于修正模型的天线指向误差统计特性分析

作为评估天线性能的重要指标之一,天线指向精度直接影响着天线的跟踪观测性能。为了适应任务需求,提高天线及星地链路分析精度,本文基于指向误差修正模型对模型各分量的影响因素含义进行了系统分析,并定量研究了各个分量对指向误差的影响。基于各模型参数的分布特性,提出了一种指向误差概率分布模型,进一步完善了天线指向误差分析计算方法,最后利用天线的典型参数分析计算了天线指向误差角近似满足修正瑞利分布下的特征,可为后续星地链路统计分析提供参考依据。     

“CITHARE” thermal inertia and humidity cartography over Africa by geostationary satellite

The study of ground thermal behavior can give fruitful information on subsoil characteristics and soil moisture. Interest in this field has led to the definition of the CITHARE project, whose aim is to determine the feasibility of elaborating significant products for geological and hydrological purposes. The basis for such a study is to utilize many successive IR and visible pictures in order to assess thermal inertia over a given area. For that reason a meterological geosynchronous satellite, such as SMS or METEOSAT, with its high temporal and stable coverage appears as a first choice data source. Results, obtained with a preliminary set of SMS data demonstrate the influence of sensible heat, wind, surface roughness, topography on the determination of thermal inertia. The continuous observation of the Earth is required to properly discriminate such effects for a determination of thermal inertia.     

基于比力观测的捷联惯导真空滤波修正方法

针对捷联惯导地面对准过程加速度计零位误差和标度误差难以精确分离,使用传统的真空修正方法无法校正系统误差等问题,提出了一种基于比力观测的捷联惯导真空滤波修正新方法。充分利用了载体在真空段飞行时的特点,以加速度计输出的比力信息作为观测量,建立了基于真空滤波方案的系统状态方程和量测方程。对器件误差、系统误差状态变量的可观测度进行分析,给出了器件误差、系统误差的在线滤波修正方法。仿真结果表明,方法可以在线分离加速度计的零位误差和标度误差,同时能有效修正系统误差包括姿态角误差、速度误差以及位置误差,对提高捷联惯导的实际导航性能有重要的现实意义。     

Design of satellite constellations with continuous coverage on elliptic orbits of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Molniya</Emphasis> type

New methods of choosing the structures of satellite constellations (SC) on elliptical orbits of the Molniya type are presented. The methods, using critical inclination and putting the orbit apogee in the Earth’s hemisphere with an area of continuous coverage, are based on geometrical analysis of two-dimensional representation of the coverage conditions and SC motion in the space of inertial longitude of the orbit ascending node and time. The coverage conditions are represented in the form of a certain region. Dynamics of all satellites in this space is represented by uniform motion along a straight line approximately parallel to the ordinate axis, while the satellite system forms a grid. The problem of choosing a minimal (as far as the number of satellites is concerned) SC configuration can be formulated as a search for the most sparse grid. The contemporary advanced methods of computational geometry serve as an algorithmic basis for the problem solution. Design of SC for continuous coverage of latitude belts with the use of kinematically regular systems is considered. A method of analyzing single-track systems for continuous coverage of arbitrary geographic regions is described, which makes a region at any time instant observable by at least one satellite of the system. As an example, SC on elliptical orbits are considered with periods of ～4, 12, and 24 hours.     

Tropical Earth Resources Satellite: is the investment warranted?

All existing and planned Earth observation satellites have near-polar orbits (hence global coverage), but the Tropical Earth Resources Satellite (TERS) will have a true equatorial orbit at 1681 km. The TERS, conceived for the equatorial countries and Indonesia in particular, complements the existing and planned remote sensing satellites and will enable the monitoring of critical processes, such as food production, conservation of the national environment and land usage. The swath-width of the high resolution multispectral instrument can be pointed anywhere between latitude 10°N and 10°S, offering the tropical countries an opportunity to observe any part of their territory four times a day during daylight. A forward looking cloud sensor detects which areas are free of clouds and the pushbroom optical instrument will be pointed to specific clear areas. It is expected that the benefits of the monitoring capability warrant the investment in TERS.     

The use of Sun-synchronous orbits for a real-time global coverage satellite

This article describes a method for determining the parameters of a circular Sun-synchronous orbit and coverage characteristics of a satellite for real-time global coverage. Basic solutions for a single satellite have been obtained in the form of intervals of possible orbital parameters and coverage characteristics depending on a given interruption of observations of any given point on the Earth’s surface. The solutions have been used to choose orbital parameters and estimate coverage characteristics for different combinations of input data.     

GPS的空间应用

由于ＧＰＳ系统的特点以及低轨道空间的特殊应用环境，使得ＧＰＳ在空间上的应用存在着与地面应用所不同的特点，本文着重分析这些空间特点对ＧＰＳ定位实现的影响，得出以下结论：对空间用户而言，ＧＰＳ卫星对用户的覆盖有着不同于地面的特点，但可以看出，对９００公里高度以下的低轨用户，ＧＰＳ卫星对用户的覆盖不会比地面更差。同时，电离层延迟误差影响大大降低，对流层延迟误差可以不予考虑。ＧＰＳ系统本身已对相对论效应的长期项影响作了校正，但对空间用户必须重新考虑。由于空间用户运动的规律性，及我们可能对诸如信号的Ｄｏｐｐｌｅｒ频移，多路径干扰等成份作较为准确的估计并加以补偿，从而可能获得高于地面的测量精度     

Analysis on coverage ability of BeiDou navigation satellite system for manned spacecraft

To investigate the service ability of the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) for manned spacecraft, both the current regional and the future-planned global constellations of BDS are introduced and simulated. The orbital parameters of the International Space Station and China׳s Tiangong-1 spacelab are used to create the simulation scenario and evaluate the performance of the BDS constellations. The number of visible satellites and the position dilution (PDOP) of precision at the spacecraft-based receiver are evaluated. Simulation and analysis show quantitative results on the coverage ability and time percentages of both the current BDS regional and future global constellations for manned-space orbits which can be a guideline to the applications and mission design of BDS receivers on manned spacecraft.     

Microgravity measurement assembly (MMA) for spacelab module missions

The microgravity measurement assembly (MMA) is a precision measurement facility for ground and on-orbit disturbance accelerations on board Spacelab, being currently under development by MBB/ERNO under DFVLR contract. MMA is using a new generation of micromechanical acceleration detectors developed by CSEM under ESTEC contract. Small dimensions of the triaxial sensor packages allow for installation very close to scientific experiments; mass is significantly reduced compared to conventional systems. Six or more of these mini-sensor packages are installed at the most g-sensitive experiments of Spacelab Module Missions. Acceleration and housekeeping data are processed in real time by a dedicated microcomputer and transmitted to the ground. Thus, for the first time, synchronized and comparable precision acceleration data are available in real time on ground for on-line judgement of the microgravity environment desired for experiment success, offering the possibility, for example of experiment repetition in case of excessive g-disturbances. Furthermore, MMA allows for immediate feedback to the crew concerning the microgravity effects of their dynamic behavior, with the aim of crew training towards lower disturbances. An additional mobile sensor package can be installed at vibration sources, e.g. pumps, centrifuges etc. or any arbitrary location inside the Spacelab Module. An impact hammer can be used together with MMA in order to measure in-flight structural transfer functions. The MMA on-board system and ground station and its planned utilization for the German Spacelab Mission D-2 is described.     

A vector method for synthesis of orbits and the structure of satellite constellations for multiswath periodic coverage of the Earth

Single satellites and multisatellite constellations for the periodic coverage of the Earth are considered. The main feature is the use of several cameras with different swath widths. A vector method is proposed which makes it possible to find orbits minimizing the periodicities of coverage of a given area of Earth uniformly for all swaths. Their number is not limited, but the relative dimensions should satisfy the Fibonacci series or some new numerical sequences. The results apply to constellations of any number of satellites. Formulas were derived for calculating their structure, i.e., relative position in the constellation. Examples of orbits and the structure of constellations for the Earth’s multiswath coverage are presented.     

偶数重连续覆盖的Walker星座设计方法

针对期望覆盖重数为偶数重时连续覆盖Walker星座的构型设计问题,提出一种基于覆盖带理论的构型设计方法。首先分析同轨道卫星组成覆盖带时的构型设计特例,随后将结论推广,改进了传统Walker星座的构型表征形式并提出覆盖带构型参数。基于轨道参数的相平面映射,给出了异轨卫星组成覆盖带时特征宽度的计算方法。通过分析相平面上覆盖带的拼接情况,给出了轨道倾角的优化策略和偶数重覆盖任意纬度的Walker星座设计步骤。所提出方法能显著提高构型枚举效率,且能满足不同纬度范围的覆盖需求。仿真表明,该方法能减少约10%覆盖所需的卫星数量,并能通过调整构型参数进一步优化轨道面数量。     

Post mission life plan for FORMOSAT-2

This paper presents the enhancement in mission operations, the mission life state-of-health (SOH) trending analysis, and the post mission life plan of the FORMOSAT-2 (or FS2, Formosa satellite #2, was called ROCSAT-2, or RS2, Republic of China satellite #2, previously) during its five years mission life from 20 May 2004 to 20 May 2009. There are two payloads onboard FS2: a remote sensing instrument (RSI) with nadir ground sampling distance (GSD) of 2 m for panchromatic (PAN) and GSD of 8 m for multi-spectral (MS, 4 bands) as the primary payload, and an imager for sprite and upper atmospheric lightning (ISUAL) as the secondary payload. It was launched on 20 May 2004. The design life is 7 years while the mission life is 5 years. In other words, the end of mission life date of FS2 is 20 May 2009. Generally speaking, FS2 is still at very good condition in its SOH. Post mission life plan for FS2 consists of: the practice of orbit transfer for global coverage and better resolution, the development of gyroless attitude control, and the method for life extension. It is expected that the working life of FS2 can be extended 3–5 years.