面向木星卫星交会任务的探测器飞行路径规划

针对探测器在木星系统内多次借力的飞行路径和轨道优化设计问题,提出了一种基于三层优化思想的飞行路径规划方法,该方法可根据给定的任务约束和交会目标,自动搜索探测器在木星系统内的借力飞行序列,同时完成标称飞行轨道的优化设计。首先,文章在给定轨道动力学模型和木卫借力模型基础上,建立了面向木卫交会任务的两次借力飞行轨道优化设计模型和求解方法;然后,采用结合遗传算法、全局遍历和贪婪算法的三层优化设计思路,给出了一种环木飞行路径规划方法;最后,以木星四颗卫星的交会任务为例进行了仿真分析。仿真结果表明：针对木卫的交会任务,探测器速度增量需求随木卫借力次数的增多,呈现先显著减小后逐渐增大的现象;探测器采用多次木卫借力的策略,可显著降低探测器的速度增量需求;探测器速度增量达到最优之后,借力目标收敛于交会目标,且速度增量随借力次数的进一步增多而逐渐增大。     

月球探测器轨道设计新方法研究

利用太阳引力摄动与月球绕飞设计地月转移轨道,是月球探测器轨道设计的一种新方法。与霍曼转移相比,这种新型轨道飞行时间较长(约三、四个月),但显著节省速度增量(可达150m/s),对月球探测器工程具有诱人的实际应用价值。对应用引力捕获设计地月转移轨道新方法,本文比较全面地论述了研究目标、研究内容、研究方法与步骤,并从大量算例中给出若干典型轨迹予以辅证。     

导航星座星间链路信号捕获搜索策略研究

针对导航星座星间链路信号动态范围大、捕获性能要求高之间的矛盾,利用星历信息辅助信号捕获。在此基础上,分析了信号捕获串行搜索、码并行搜索和频率并行搜索的计算代价,给出了不同信号体制和星历误差下各搜索策略对应的运算量表达式,并结合典型的应用场景进行了算例分析。分析结果表明星间信号捕获在星历误差较小时采用串行搜索策略具有最少的计算量,在星历误差较大时采用码并行搜索策略计算量最少。     

空间飞网捕获机器人系统时变惯量姿态动力学研究

空间飞网捕获机器人系统提供了一种新的以柔性飞网为作业方式的在轨捕获模式,其捕获过程当中系统姿态动力学与普通航天器相比有较大的不同,主要表现在飞网抛射及捕获过程中系统质量特性不断发生变化,使得该系统姿态动力学呈现出丰富的特性.详细研究了飞网捕获机器人捕获前后二维轨道平面内的姿态动力学模型,在考虑重力梯度力矩的情况下建立了飞网抛射及捕获过程当中系统的惯量时变姿态动力学模型,并根据不同的初始条件完成了数值仿真.仿真结果说明在飞网抛射及目标捕获过程中系统会发生明显的面内天平动.该文的研究结果为后继飞网捕获过程当中的姿态协调控制及射网路径规划的研究提供了理论支撑.     

基于迭代信息传递的PN码快速捕获方法研究

在扩频通信系统中,低信噪比情况下,长伪码序列的快速捕获成为急需解决的一个关键问题。为了解决该问题,提出一种基于迭代信息传递算法的伪码快速捕获方法,给出了该算法伪码快速捕获的原理和实现方法,仿真分析了该方法的捕获性能。该方法采用软件实现,实现的复杂度较低。仿真结果表明该方法具有较快的捕获速度,较高的捕获概率,并能够在低信噪比下稳定工作。     

一种非线性闭环多约束最优末制导律研究

针对复杂环境多约束条件下的飞行器末制导问题,提出了一种基于最优控制理论,同时考虑过程约束和终端约束的末制导律设计方法。首先,考虑终端位置、落角和过载需求,基于最优控制理论和Schwartz不等式,建立了过载指令表达式;然后,根据需要对其进行了简化处理,得到了便于应用的表达形式;接着,在建立飞行过载和导引头视角解析表达式并进行分析的基础上,设计了同时考虑过程约束和终端约束的制导参数设计策略;最后,开展了仿真分析,仿真结果表明,所提制导律在满足飞行过程和终端约束的同时,降低了飞行器飞行末段过载需求。     

火星探测转移轨道中途修正分析

中途修正分析是深空探测任务设计的关键步骤。首先讨论火星探测中途修正速度增量的求解方法,并由此对多次修正问题进行了Monte Carlo仿真分析。为满足不同的计算需求,针对速度增量的求解问题,给出了精确算法和快速算法两种思路,并对二者的解算精度进行了对比。以2018年某火星探测轨道为例,根据设定误差,计算得出了各次修正速度增量和残余误差随修正时间变化的数据曲线,进而对修正时机的选择问题进行了讨论,并对5次修正策略进行了仿真分析。实验表明,Monte Carlo仿真数据能够直观地反映多次修正的基本规律,讨论结果可以为修正策略的制定提供一种思路和数据参考。
     

航天器跳跃式返回的再入动力学特性仿真

深空高速再入返回是航天返回技术面临的新问题。研究采用跳跃式返回方式解决高速再入产生的高过载、高热流峰值问题。建立了完整的航天器再入大气层飞行动力学模型;依据航天器跳跃式返回飞行剖面和返回飞行的运动特性,将再入大气过程划分为初始再入段、初次再入下降段、初次再入上升段、大气层外飞行段和二次再入段,详细研究了各飞行段航天器的动力学特性,简要分析了各阶段的制导任务。通过分析仿真结果,初步摸清了航天器深空飞行跳跃式再入动力学特性。     

可重复使用新型着陆缓冲装置设计

着陆缓冲技术应用于各类飞行器着陆时吸收机械能,降低着陆冲击过载,最终使飞行器以一定的着陆姿态安全地着陆在星表。随着载人深空探测任务的深入,引发了一次任务多次着陆的需求,进而对着陆缓冲提出了的可重复使用的新要求。由此开展了一种新型油气式的可重复使用着陆缓冲装置研究,该装置可以兼顾地外天体着陆和地球返回着陆需求。文章首先详细介绍了该设计的组成及工作原理;随后分析了缓冲机理,对缓冲力的组成及计算表达进行了详细说明;基于多体动力学软件建立了多刚体系统动力学模型,在此基础上开展了5种典型工况的仿真分析和计算。经过计算,最大缓冲行程不大于0.3m,最大加速度过载不大于8gn,能够承受1m/s的水平速度。综上,该载人飞船着陆缓冲装置能够满足多次着陆缓冲及过载等要求,相关设计可以作为新一代载人飞船着陆缓冲设计的参考。     

空间碎片飞网捕获仿真研究

文章利用动力学建模的方法分析了采用柔性飞网进行空间碎片捕获的过程。以非合作性目标捕获系统为基础建立了柔性飞网X模型,利用EXCEL和MATLAB对飞网捕获碎片的全过程进行仿真,重点分析了抛射速度和抛射角度对飞网捕获能力的影响。结果表明,随着抛射角度的增大,飞网的捕获能力无明显变化;随着抛射速度的增大,飞网的捕获能力增强。     

Aerobraking at Venus: A science and technology enabler

Venus remains one of the great unexplored planets in our solar system, with key questions remaining on the evolution of its atmosphere and climate, its volatile cycles, and the thermal and magmatic evolution of its surface. One potential approach toward answering these questions is to fly a reconnaissance mission that uses a multi-mode radar in a near-circular, low-altitude orbit of ∼400 km and 60–70° inclination. This type of mission profile results in a total mission delta-V of ∼4.4 km/s. Aerobraking could provide a significant portion, potentially up to half, of this energy transfer, thereby permitting more mass to be allocated to the spacecraft and science payload or facilitating the use of smaller, cheaper launch vehicles.Aerobraking at Venus also provides additional science benefits through the measurement of upper atmospheric density (recovered from accelerometer data) and temperature values, especially near the terminator where temperature changes are abrupt and constant pressure levels drop dramatically in altitude from day to night.Scientifically rich, Venus is also an ideal location for implementing aerobraking techniques. Its thick lower atmosphere and slow planet rotation result in relatively more predictable atmospheric densities than Mars. The upper atmosphere (aerobraking altitudes) of Venus has a density variation of 8% compared to Mars' 30% variability. In general, most aerobraking missions try to minimize the duration of the aerobraking phase to keep costs down. These short phases have limited margin to account for contingencies. It is the stable and predictive nature of Venus' atmosphere that provides safer aerobraking opportunities.The nature of aerobraking at Venus provides ideal opportunities to demonstrate aerobraking enhancements and techniques yet to be used at Mars, such as flying a temperature corridor (versus a heat-rate corridor) and using a thermal-response surface algorithm and autonomous aerobraking, shifting many daily ground activities to onboard the spacecraft. A defined aerobraking temperature corridor, based on spacecraft component maximum temperatures, can be employed on a spacecraft specifically designed for aerobraking, and will predict subsequent aerobraking orbits and prescribe apoapsis propulsive maneuvers to maintain the spacecraft within its specified temperature limits. A spacecraft specifically designed for aerobraking in the Venus environment can provide a cost-effective platform for achieving these expanded science and technology goals.This paper discusses the scientific merits of a low-altitude, near-circular orbit at Venus, highlights the differences in aerobraking at Venus versus Mars, and presents design data using a flight system specifically designed for an aerobraking mission at Venus. Using aerobraking to achieve a low altitude orbit at Venus may pave the way for various technology demonstrations, such as autonomous aerobraking techniques and/or new science measurements like a multi-mode, synthetic aperture radar capable of altimetry and radiometry with performance that is significantly more capable than Magellan.     

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.     

Electric transfer optimization for mars sample return mission

The aim of this paper is to analyse an alternative scenario for Mars Sample Return Orbiter mission, where electric propulsion is used for Earth-Mars and Mars-Earth heliocentric cruises and for Mars orbit insertion / escape transfers, whereas chemical propulsion is used for final Mars rendezvous. The problem consists in minimizing the initial vehicle mass to obtain a specific final dry mass in reasonable time. The planetocentric phases correspond to continuous low-thrust trajectories, spiraling around Mars between a low orbit and the influence sphere altitude. The heliocentric phases consist of a succession of low-thrust and coasting arcs with specific departure and arrival conditions at the Earth. For these two types of transfer, efficient optimal control tools exist based on Pontryagin's maximum principle. Thanks to the coordination between planetocentric and heliocentric phases, the solution obtained with these two separate tools gives a good upper bound of the optimal solution in terms of propellant consumption and duration. This optimization procedure is described and finally applied to the proposed mission. The numerical results are presented and compared with the baseline chemical mission solution. The electric option could allow to decrease the spacecraft departure mass but may lead to rather long mission duration.     

Constant-thrust glideslope guidance algorithm for time-fixed rendezvous in real halo orbit

This paper presents a fixed-time glideslope guidance algorithm that is capable of guiding the spacecraft approaching a target vehicle on a quasi-periodic halo orbit in real Earth–Moon system. To guarantee the flight time is fixed, a novel strategy for designing the parameters of the algorithm is given. Based on the numerical solution of the linearized relative dynamics of the Restricted Three-Body Problem (expressed in inertial coordinates with a time-variant nature), the proposed algorithm breaks down the whole rendezvous trajectory into several arcs. For each arc, a two-impulse transfer is employed to obtain the velocity increment (delta-v) at the joint between arcs. Here we respect the fact that instantaneous delta-v cannot be implemented by any real engine, since the thrust magnitude is always finite. To diminish its effect on the control, a thrust duration as well as a thrust direction are translated from the delta-v in the context of a constant thrust engine (the most robust type in real applications). Furthermore, the ignition and cutoff delays of the thruster are considered as well. With this high-fidelity thrust model, the relative state is then propagated to the next arc by numerical integration using a complete Solar System model. In the end, final corrective control is applied to insure the rendezvous velocity accuracy. To fully validate the proposed guidance algorithm, Monte Carlo simulation is done by incorporating the navigational error and the thrust direction error. Results show that our algorithm can effectively maintain control over the time-fixed rendezvous transfer, with satisfactory final position and velocity accuracies for the near-range guided phase.     

Post-aerocapture orbit selection and maintenance for the Aerofast mission to Mars

Aerofast is the abbreviation of “aerocapture for future space transportation” and represents a project aimed at developing aerocapture techniques with regard to an interplanetary mission to Mars, in the context of the 7th Framework Program, with the financial support of the European Union. This paper describes the fundamental characteristics of the operational orbit after aerocapture for the mission of interest, as well as the related maintenance strategy. The final orbit selection depends on the desired lighting conditions, maximum revisit time of specific target regions, and feasibility of the orbit maintenance strategy. A sunsynchronous, frozen, repeating-ground-track orbit is chosen. First, the period of repetition is such that adjacent ascending node crossings (over the Mars surface) have a separation compatible with the swath of the optical payload. Secondly, the sunsynchronism condition ensures that a given latitude is periodically visited at the same local time, which condition is essential for comparing images of the same region at different epochs. Lastly, the fulfillment of the frozen condition guarantees improved orbit stability with respect to perturbations due to the zonal harmonics of Mars gravitational field. These three fundamental features of the operational orbit lead to determining its mean orbital elements. The evaluation of short and long period effects (e.g., those due to the sectorial harmonics of the gravitational field or to the aerodynamic drag) requires the determination of the osculating orbital elements at an initial reference time. This research describes a simple and accurate approach that leads to numerically determining these initial values, without employing complicated analytical developments. Numerical simulations demonstrate the long-period stability of the orbit when a significant number of harmonics of the gravitational field are taken into account. However, aerodynamic drag produces a relatively slow orbital decay at the altitudes considered for the mission. This circumstance implies the progressive loss of the sunsynchronism condition, and therefore corrective maneuvers are to be performed. This work proves that actually only in-plane maneuvers are necessary, evaluates the overall delta-v budget needed in the period of repetition (85 Martian nodal days), and proposes a simple maintenance strategy, making reference to the worst-case scenario, which corresponds to the highest seasonal values of the atmospheric density and to the maximum value of the ballistic coefficient of the spacecraft.     

Low-energy Earth–Moon transfers involving manifolds through isomorphic mapping

Analysis and design of low-energy transfers to the Moon has been a subject of great interest for decades. Exterior and interior transfers, based on the transit through the regions where the collinear libration points are located, have been studied for a long time and some space missions have already taken advantage of the results of these studies. This paper is concerned with a geometrical approach for low-energy Earth-to-Moon mission analysis, based on isomorphic mapping. The isomorphic mapping of trajectories allows a visual, intuitive representation of periodic orbits and of the related invariant manifolds, which correspond to tubes that emanate from the curve associated with the periodic orbit. Two types of Earth-to-Moon missions are considered. The first mission is composed of the following arcs: (i) transfer trajectory from a circular low Earth orbit to the stable invariant manifold associated with the Lyapunov orbit at L₁ (corresponding to a specified energy level) and (ii) transfer trajectory along the unstable manifold associated with the Lyapunov orbit at L₁, with final injection in a periodic orbit around the Moon. The second mission is composed of the following arcs: (i) transfer trajectory from a circular low Earth orbit to the stable invariant manifold associated with the Lyapunov orbit at L₁ (corresponding to a specified energy level) and (ii) transfer trajectory along the unstable manifold associated with the Lyapunov orbit at L₁, with final injection in a capture (non-periodic) orbit around the Moon. In both cases three velocity impulses are needed to perform the transfer: the first at an unknown initial point along the low Earth orbit, the second at injection on the stable manifold, the third at injection in the final (periodic or capture) orbit. The final goal is in finding the optimization parameters, which are represented by the locations, directions, and magnitudes of the velocity impulses such that the overall delta-v of the transfer is minimized. This work proves how isomorphic mapping (in two distinct forms) can be profitably employed to optimize such transfers, by determining in a geometrical fashion the desired optimization parameters that minimize the delta-v budget required to perform the transfer.     

火星轨道交会自主导航与制导方法

对火星采样返回任务中的火星轨道交会自主导航和制导技术进行了研究。采用光学自主导航敏感器测量的火星中心方向和视半径，相对敏感器测量的相对位置等观测量，设计了导航滤波器同时估计轨返组合体和上升器的轨道。在导航滤波器设计中，针对光学自主导航敏感器更新频率远低于滤波解算频率的问题，设计了一种连续观测量构造算法，确保每个滤波周期均可进行测量更新，以提高导航精度。基于导航滤波器估计结果，采用T-H制导设计了4脉冲共椭圆交会策略实施轨道控制，从而构成近程交会自主导航和制导方案用于完成火星轨道交会任务。通过数学仿真校验了所提出方法的有效性。     

一种三元结构的火星采样返回任务方案分析

介绍了目前国外提出的一种三元结构的火星采样返回任务方案,整个方案分3次发射,分别发射漫游车、着陆器和轨道器,每次发射间隔为4年,最终目的是将火星样品带回地球。该方案的优势在于,通过3次发射分别完成漫游车巡视勘察、着陆器现场探测、轨道器数据中继和在轨探测,最终综合完成火星采样返回,能够极大地缓解项目进度和资金压力,充分利用每次发射窗口分步骤完成探测任务。文章重点对方案涉及的关键技术进行了分析,包括样品获取与封装、行星保护、精准着陆、漫游车的危险规避能力和移动性、火星上升器、交会与样品捕获、地球再入器技术等;对方案的前景和优势进行了探讨,并给出几点启示,如精准着陆或成为今后行星探测着陆方式的新趋势,火星采样返回任务将是人类火星探测的里程碑,今后的深空探测任务趋向国际合作模式等。     

利用气动减速的国外深空探测器热控设计特点分析

气动减速技术能在耗费较少燃料的情况下,使探测器顺利进入预定环绕轨道.面向气动减速技术的深空探测器迎风面需要承受较高的气动热负荷与气动力,使得迎风面热控材料的耐热与耐冲击能力成为探测器设计的关键.文章对国外相关应用实例进行了调研和综述,并在此基础上总结了此类深空探测器热控系统的设计特点,可为气动减速技术在我国深空探测任务...     

Characterization of the optimal mass problem for aerobraking tethers

In the aerobraking tether concept, a probe, connected to an orbiter by a long, thin tether, passes through the atmosphere of a target planet to provide a desired velocity change, while keeping the orbiter above the sensible atmosphere. In earlier work, simple analytic models have been developed which accurately describe the characteristics of the mass-optimal tether. In this paper these models are generalized so that design of the spacecraft and the aerobraking maneuver can be completely characterized by four independent parameters. By comparing the tether mass (e.g. for aerocapture) with the propellant mass required to capture the orbiter, we show that aerobraking tethers have a clear advantage for a wide range of maneuvers.