Collocation of two GEO satellites and one inclined GSO satellite

Three collocation strategies are planned and analyzed for the cluster of two geostationary orbit (GEO) satellites and one inclined geosynchronous orbit (GSO) satellite in the same longitude control band of 116°E±0.05° . The longitudinal control bands are allocated for the two GEO satellites and one inclined GSO satellite with seven-day East/West station-keeping maneuver cycle. The latitudinal control bands are allocated for the two GEO satellites with fourteen-day North/South station-keeping maneuver cycle. One inclined GSO satellite is allowed for natural inclination drift. The coordinated eccentricity vector and inclination vector separation method is applied for the collocation, and the maneuver schedule is planned to minimize the operational load by avoiding simultaneous maneuvers. A total of six months of station-keeping maneuver simulations are performed for the three different strategies.     

平经度与偏心率联合偏置双星共位技术

针对在偏心率隔离情况下,由于共位双星半长轴并不完全相同,导致双星平经度差不断增加的情况,讨论了平经度与偏心率联合偏置情况下的双星共位控制策略.该策略通过计算得到双星允许的最大平经度差,控制双星漂移过程中的平经度差保持在允许的范围,确保在偏心率偏置条件下实现双星的安全隔离.理论和算例表明,双星共位的控制周期与卫星的测控精度有关,随着测控精度的提高,双星共位的控制周期可以等于每颗星的东西位置保持周期.     

The Lunar Gravity Ranging System for the Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) Mission

The Lunar Gravity Ranging System (LGRS) flying on NASA’s Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) mission measures fluctuations in the separation between the two GRAIL orbiters with sensitivity below 0.6 microns/Hz^1/2. GRAIL adapts the mission design and instrumentation from the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) to a make a precise gravitational map of Earth’s Moon. Phase measurements of Ka-band carrier signals transmitted between spacecraft with line-of-sight separations between 50 km to 225 km provide the primary observable. Measurements of time offsets between the orbiters, frequency calibrations, and precise orbit determination provided by the Global Positioning System on GRACE are replaced by an S-band time-transfer cross link and Deep Space Network Doppler tracking of an X-band radioscience beacon and the spacecraft telecommunications link. Lack of an atmosphere at the Moon allows use of a single-frequency link and elimination of the accelerometer compared to the GRACE instrumentation. This paper describes the implementation, testing and performance of the instrument complement flown on the two GRAIL orbiters.     

交会对接任务轨道控制规划设计与实施简

针对我国空间交会对接轨道控制规划技术,研究了轨道交会优化、应急轨道控制、安全轨道防护和发射窗口规划等一系列关键问题.设计了全寿命周期交会对接任务轨道控制规划方案,从目标飞行器发射到飞船返回,对轨道控制进行了全程协同、全局优化.设计了相位、高度、圆化度多目标融合控制算法;建立了规划变量对远距离导引终点六自由度的独立控制方程;设计了标称整体规划与动态逐级规划相结合的多模式规划策略;基于导引终点整体调整和局部调整的方式,实现了正常和应急条件下天地导引交接点的动态规划;提出了基于飞行控制过程建模的导引终点精度分析方法,确定了地面导引向自主导引切换的关键判据;建立了多约束交会对接发射窗口模型,构建了多任务多年度发射窗口集合.交会对接轨道控制规划技术成功应用于神舟八号、神舟九号和神舟十号交会对接任务.     

航天器测控仿真方法研究

航天器发射前,航天飞行控制中心需要对相关测控方案和软件进行验证。利用仿真系统验证测控方案和软件是一种行之有效的途径。航天器测量数据、轨道和姿态控制仿真是航天飞行控制中心仿真系统的重要组成部分。分别讨论了航天器测量数据、轨道控制和姿态控制仿真方法,分析了航天器测控仿真系统的建立,通过仿真结果说明了仿真方法的合理可行。     

中继卫星系统对用户航天器快速测定轨能力分析简

针对快速交会对接方案提出的航天器两圈实现变轨的可行性,使用太阳活动平静期的用户航天器四程测距数据,并结合中继卫星观测模型设计磁暴期航天器仿真测距数据,使用动力学定轨方法进行计算分析,论证了中继卫星系统对用户航天器的快速测定轨能力,解算出的航天器轨道根数精度为快速交会对接机精度分析提供了参考.     

轨控标定方法研究及在交会对接中的应用简

在航天测控任务中,对轨控效果进行标定并合理利用可以实现更为精准的轨道控制目标.提出一种用虚拟等效推力来替代姿态偏差所带来的影响,利用控前控后精密轨道同时标定轨控执行过程轨道切向、径向、法向三方向速度增量的方法,介绍该方法在我国交会对接任务中的应用情况,及其标定结果对定轨精度的敏感程度,试图在理论上进一步说明利用精密轨道进行轨控标定的可行性.     

多机构比对融合的分布式InSAR编队星间基线确定

星间基线高精度确定是分布式干涉合成孔径雷达（InSAR）系统完成科学任务的重要保证,受星载全球定位系统（GPS）接收机连续跟踪弧段短、个别弧段共视GPS卫星个数少或模糊度固定成功率低、频繁轨道机动等因素影响,分布式InSAR高精度基线确定仍有不可靠的风险。通过多机构产品互比来识别基线精度较差的时间段,降低不可靠风险,并通过多机构产品融合进一步提高基线精度。选用重力反演与气候实验（GRACE）卫星数据进行实验,国防科技大学（NDT）和西安测绘研究所（CHS）采用不同的基线处理软件和简化动力学策略,保证了各自的基线产品具有一定的独立性。实验表明,多机构互比对可以有效识别基线精度较差的时间段,NDT和CHS的基线产品之间具有很好的一致性,互比对残差的均方根（RMS）在R、T、N方向分别为0.7、0.9、0.7 mm,二者之间没发现明显系统偏差,大约97.86%的基线三维互比对残差量级在2 mm以内。两个机构基线产品融合后发现可进一步降低基线产品中的随机波动误差,K/Ka波段测距（KBR）系统校核结果表明融合基线产品精度较NDT基线产品提高8.97%,较CHS基线产品提高29.21%。     

双星定位系统及其备份星在近地卫星联合定轨建模中的应用

建立了基于双星定位系统距离和观测数据的近地卫星联合定轨模型,设计了相应的数值融合联合定轨算法;为进一步提高近地卫星定轨精度,考虑融合双星及备份星距离和观测数据,建立了基于双星和备份星的近地卫星联合定轨模型及实现算法,并针对不同仿真条件进行了联合定轨仿真实验。仿真计算结果表明,联合定轨方式较传统近地卫星精密定轨方式可以更好地抑制双星星历误差对近地卫星定轨精度的影响,近地卫星和双星的定轨精度均得到了一定程度的提高;同时,融合备份星观测数据的近地卫星联合定轨精度得到进一步改善,达到5.17m。     

A tracking algorithm for maneuvering targets

A methodology for the tracking of maneuvering targets is presented. A quickest-detection scheme based on the innovation sequence is developed for a prompt detection of target maneuvers. The optimal length of a sliding window that minimizes the maneuver detection delay for a given false-alarm rate is determined. After maneuver detection, the system model is modified by adding a maneuver term. A recursive algorithm is proposed to estimate the maneuver magnitude. With this estimate, a modified Kalman filter is used for tracking. Simulation results demonstrate the superior performance of the algorithm, especially during target maneuvers     

Spaceborne GPS receiver antenna phase center offset and variation estimation for the Shiyan 3 satellite

In determining the orbits of low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites using spaceborne GPS, the errors caused by receiver antenna phase center offset (PCO) and phase center variations (PCVs) are gradually becoming a major limiting factor for continued improvements to accuracy. Shiyan 3, a small satellite mission for space technology experimentation and climate exploration, was developed by China and launched on November 5, 2008. The dual-frequency GPS receiver payload delivers 1 Hz data and provides the basis for precise orbit determination within the range of a few centime-ters. The antenna PCO and PCV error characteristics and the principles influencing orbit determi-nation are analyzed. The feasibility of PCO and PCV estimation and compensation in different directions is demonstrated through simulation and in-flight tests. The values of receiver antenna PCO and PCVs for Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) and Shiyan 3 satellites are estimated from one month of data. A large and stable antenna PCO error, reaching up to 10.34 cm in the z-direction, is found with the Shiyan 3 satellite. The PCVs on the Shiyan 3 satellite are estimated and reach up to 3.0 cm, which is slightly larger than that of GRACE satellites. Orbit validation clearly improved with independent k-band ranging (KBR) and satellite laser ranging (SLR) measurements. For GRACE satellites, the average root mean square (RMS) of KBR resid-uals improved from 1.01 cm to 0.88 cm. For the Shiyan 3 satellite, the average RMS of SLR resid-uals improved from 4.95 cm to 4.06 cm.     

MESSENGER Mission Design and Navigation

Nearly three decades after the Mariner 10 spacecraft’s third and final targeted Mercury flyby, the 3 August 2004 launch of the MESSENGER (MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging) spacecraft began a new phase of exploration of the closest planet to our Sun. In order to ensure that the spacecraft had sufficient time for pre-launch testing, the NASA Discovery Program mission to orbit Mercury experienced launch delays that required utilization of the most complex of three possible mission profiles in 2004. During the 7.6-year mission, the spacecraft’s trajectory will include six planetary flybys (including three of Mercury between January 2008 and September 2009), dozens of trajectory-correction maneuvers (TCMs), and a year in orbit around Mercury. Members of the mission design and navigation teams optimize the spacecraft’s trajectory, specify TCM requirements, and predict and reconstruct the spacecraft’s orbit. These primary mission design and navigation responsibilities are closely coordinated with spacecraft design limitations, operational constraints, availability of ground-based tracking stations, and science objectives. A few days after the spacecraft enters Mercury orbit in mid-March 2011, the orbit will have an 80° inclination relative to Mercury’s equator, a 200-km minimum altitude over 60°N latitude, and a 12-hour period. In order to accommodate science goals that require long durations during Mercury orbit without trajectory adjustments, pairs of orbit-correction maneuvers are scheduled every 88 days (once per Mercury year).     

基于动量轮转速标定的轨道控制方法研究

某地球同步三轴卫星因故障导致推力器工作效率不稳定,使得采用原有方案进行向西轨道控制时姿态变化大,控制准确度降低.针对上述问题,通过分析卫星用于姿态控制的偏置动量轮的控制规律,利用星体角动量守恒条件,建立了偏置动量轮转速变化与轨道半长轴变化之间的相关性数学模型,提出了一种改进的基于偏置动量轮转速标定的轨道控制方法,同时结合姿态的稳定变化制定了轨道控制实施方案,并将其应用于实际卫星轨道控制中,取得了良好的控制效果.改进的控制方法提高了轨道控制的准确率,使得半长轴误差幅度由最大60％提高到0.2％左右,增加了姿态的稳定性,使得俯仰姿态变化幅度由最大0.7°减小到0.2°左右,降低了控制风险,减轻了地面控制人员的负担.     

Possible Future Use of Laser Gravity Gradiometers

With the GRACE mission under way and the GOCE mission well along in the design process, detailed questions concerning the type of future mission that may follow them have arisen. It is generally agreed that determining the time variations in the Earth's gravity field with as high spatial and temporal resolution as is feasible will be the main driver for such a mission. The possible use of laser heterodyne measurements between separate satellites in such a mission has been discussed by a number of people. The first suggestion of emphasizing time variation measurements in a laser mission was the TIDES concept presented in 1992 by Colombo and Chao. Then, in 2000, a GRACE Follow-On mission using laser measurements between two drag-free satellites was discussed by Watkins el al. (2000). More recently, the possibility of utilizing laser measurements between more than two satellites in order to determine two or more components of the gravity gradient tensor simultaneously has been proposed by Balmino. This approach may be desirable in order to reduce the aliasing of time variations between geopotential terms of different degree and order, as well as to improve the resolution in longitude, despite the cost of the additional satellites. In this paper, we discuss specific possible mission geometries for measuring the two diagonal in-plane components of the gravity gradient tensor simultaneously. This could be done, for example, by laser heterodyne measurements between two pairs of satellites in coplanar and nearly polar orbits. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

OSIRIS-REx Flight Dynamics and Navigation Design

OSIRIS-REx is the first NASA mission to return a sample of an asteroid to Earth. Navigation and flight dynamics for the mission to acquire and return a sample of asteroid 101955 Bennu establish many firsts for space exploration. These include relatively small orbital maneuvers that are precise to ～1 mm/s, close-up operations in a captured orbit about an asteroid that is small in size and mass, and planning and orbit phasing to revisit the same spot on Bennu in similar lighting conditions. After preliminary surveys and close approach flyovers of Bennu, the sample site will be scientifically characterized and selected. A robotic shock-absorbing arm with an attached sample collection head mounted on the main spacecraft bus acquires the sample, requiring navigation to Bennu’s surface. A touch-and-go sample acquisition maneuver will result in the retrieval of at least 60 grams of regolith, and up to several kilograms. The flight activity concludes with a return cruise to Earth and delivery of the sample return capsule (SRC) for landing and sample recovery at the Utah Test and Training Range (UTTR).     

Spacecraft orbit determination using GPS navigation solutions

The orbit determination using the GPS navigation solutions for the KOMPSAT-1 spacecraft has been studied. The Cowell method of special perturbation theories was employed to develop a precision orbit propagation, and the perturbations due to geopotential, the gravity of the Sun and the Moon, solid Earth tides, ocean tides, the Earth's dynamic polar motion, solar radiation pressure, and atmospheric drag were modeled. Specifically, the satellite box-wing macro model was applied to minimize the drag errors at low altitude. The estimation scheme consisted of an extended Kalman filter and Bayesian least square method. To investigate the applicability of the method to the KOMPSAT-1 spacecraft, the orbit determination was accomplished using the GPS navigation solutions for the TOPEX/POSEIDON and TAOS satellites. The orbit determination results were compared with NASA POE generated by global laser tracking. The position and velocity accuracy was estimated about 16∼7 m and 0.0157∼0.0074 m·s⁻¹ RMS, respectively, for the two satellites in the presence of SA. These results verify that an orbit determination scheme using GPS navigation solutions can provide the static orbit information and reduce conspicuously the position and velocity errors of navigation solutions. It can be suggested that the sequential and batch orbit determination using the GPS navigation solutions be the most appropriate method in the KOMPSAT-1 type mission.     

广义轨道根数空间的轨道机动可达性

在由动量矩矢量和偏心率矢量定义的广义轨道根数度量空间内,研究了在初始轨道的任意点施加幅值固定的单脉冲后卫星的可达区域,包括脉冲施加的位置任意、方向固定和位置固定、方向任意2种情况,给出了广义轨道根数空间中轨道机动的可达性判据.通过比较脉冲作用前后的广义轨道根数,评估了单脉冲对广义轨道根数的影响,并且利用数值仿真分析了脉冲作用位置、方向与广义轨道根数空间中度量的关系.最后,在广义轨道根数空间中给出了轨道到轨道的机动策略,验证了广义轨道根数的可行性.     

Bearings-only tracking for maneuvering sources

Classical bearings-only target-motion analysis (TMA) is restricted to sources with constant motion parameters (usually position and velocity). However, most interesting sources have maneuvering abilities, thus degrading the performance of classical TMA. In the passive sonar context a long-time source-observer encounter is realistic, so the source maneuver possibilities may be important in regard to the source and array baseline. This advocates for the consideration and modeling of the whole source trajectory including source maneuver uncertainty. With that aim, a convenient framework is the hidden Markov model (HMM). A basic idea consists of a two-levels discretization of the state-space. The probabilities of position transition are deduced from the probabilities of velocity transitions which, themselves, are directly related to the source maneuvering capability. The source state sequence estimation is achieved by means of classical dynamic programming (DP). This approach does not require any prior information relative to the source maneuvers. However, the probabilistic nature of the source trajectory confers a major role to the optimization of the observer maneuvers. This problem is then solved by using the general framework of the Markov decision process (MDP)     

Efficient Utilization of Orbit/Frequency for Satellite Broadcasting

In this paper some basic concepts involved in efficient orbit/spectrum utilization for broadcast satellites are discussed. A theoretical analysis leads to the determination of interference zones and minimum number of frequency channels required for homogeneous systems operating in the 800-MHz and 12-GHz bands. A crossed-beam arrangement of satellite systems is proposed, in which the beams from satellites to service areas cross each other. This arrangement has a more efficient orbit spectrum utilization compared to the identical-longitude approach, in which the subsatellite point has the same longitude as the center of the service area, Based upon practical considerations, the elemental number of frequency channels required for world-wide coverage has been calculated in relation to satellite orbital position, for single-beam and multibeam satellite systems, using the identical-longitude and crossed -beam arrangements.     

Robot-aided remote inspection experiment on STS-85

The results are presented for the robot-aided spacecraft inspection experiments using a flaw detection algorithm called multi-images overcast (MIO), which were conducted as an extension of NASDA's Manipulator Flight Demonstration mission installed on space shuttle mission STS-85. These experiments are the first step towards research and development of the Orbital Maintenance System to support space systems by inspecting satellites, deorbiting useless satellites, and repairing satellites in orbit to utilize space systems effectively and reliably.