Drag coefficient modeling for grace using Direct Simulation Monte Carlo

Drag coefficient is a major source of uncertainty in predicting the orbit of a satellite in low Earth orbit (LEO). Computational methods like the Test Particle Monte Carlo (TPMC) and Direct Simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) are important tools in accurately computing physical drag coefficients. However, the methods are computationally expensive and cannot be employed real time. Therefore, modeling of the physical drag coefficient is required. This work presents a technique of developing parameterized drag coefficients models using the DSMC method. The technique is validated by developing a model for the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellite. Results show that drag coefficients computed using the developed model for GRACE agree to within 1% with those computed using DSMC.     

Drag and energy accommodation coefficients during sunspot maximum

Conditions appropriate to gas-surface interactions on satellite surfaces in orbit have not been successfully duplicated in the laboratory. However, measurements by pressure gauges and mass spectrometers in orbit have revealed enough of the basic physical chemistry that realistic theoretical models of the gas-surface interaction can now be used to calculate physical drag coefficients. The dependence of these drag coefficients on conditions in space can be inferred by comparing the physical drag coefficient of a satellite with a drag coefficient fitted to its observed orbital decay. This study takes advantage of recent data on spheres and attitude stabilized satellites to compare physical drag coefficients with the histories of the orbital decay of several satellites during the recent sunspot maximum. The orbital decay was obtained by fitting, in a least squares sense, the semi-major axis decay inferred from the historical two-line elements acquired by the US Space Surveillance Network. All the principal orbital perturbations were included, namely geopotential harmonics up to the 16th degree and order, third body attraction of the Moon and the Sun, direct solar radiation pressure (with eclipses), and aerodynamic drag, using the Jacchia-Bowman 2006 (JB2006) model to describe the atmospheric density. After adjusting for density model bias, a comparison of the fitted drag coefficient with the physical drag coefficient has yielded values for the energy accommodation coefficient as well as for the physical drag coefficient as a function of altitude during solar maximum conditions. The results are consistent with the altitude and solar cycle variation of atomic oxygen, which is known to be adsorbed on satellite surfaces, affecting both the energy accommodation and angular distribution of the reemitted molecules.     

大气阻力参数修正对低轨空间目标轨道预报精度的改进

对于低轨空间目标, 大气阻力是影响轨道预报精度的主要摄动力. 本文提出了一种 基于空间环境数据和神经网络模型的空间目标大气阻力参数修正方法, 基于目 标的历史两行元根数, 通过模拟得到外推一天轨道预报中预报结果与观测数据 符合最好的阻力调制系数, 分析表明其与太阳F_10.7指数和地磁Ap指数具有很好的相关性. 根据已有数据, 构建神经网络模型, 实现对阻力调制系数 的补偿计算, 从而改进低轨目标外推一天的轨道预报. 结果表明, 神经网络模 型相比两行元根数能够更及时地对空间环境变化进行响应. 将该方案应用于天 宫一号和国际空间站的外推一天轨道预报, 验证了方案的正确性和普适性, 对 地磁扰动引起的较大预报误差改进效果更好, 误差能够降低50%~60%; 平均而言, 预报精度可以提高约30%, 改进成功率达到80%左右.      

Analysis of the orbit lifetime of CubeSats in low Earth orbits including periodic variation in drag due to attitude motion

It is estimated that more than 22,300 human-made objects are in orbit around the Earth, with a total mass above 8,400,000 kg. Around 89% of these objects are non-operational and without control, which makes them to be considered orbital debris. These numbers consider only objects with dimensions larger than 10 cm. Besides those numbers, there are also about 2000 operational satellites in orbit nowadays. The space debris represents a hazard to operational satellites and to the space operations. A major concern is that this number is growing, due to new launches and particles generated by collisions. Another important point is that the development of CubeSats has increased exponentially in the last years, increasing the number of objects in space, mainly in the Low Earth Orbits (LEO). Due to the short operational time, CubeSats boost the debris population. One of the requirements for space debris mitigation in LEO is the limitation of the orbital lifetime of the satellites, which needs to be lower than 25 years. However, there are space debris with longer estimated decay time. In LEÓs, the influence of the atmospheric drag is the main orbital perturbation, and is used in maneuvers to increment the losses in the satellite orbital energy, to locate satellites in constellations and to accelerate the decay.The goal of the present research is to study the influence of aerodynamic rotational maneuver in the CubeSat?s orbital lifetime. The rotational axis is orthogonal to the orbital plane of the CubeSat, which generates variations in the ballistic coefficient along the trajectory. The maneuver is proposed to accelerate the decay and to mitigate orbital debris generated by non-operational CubeSats. The panel method is selected to determine the drag coefficient as a function of the flow incident angle and the spinning rate. The pressure distribution is integrated from the satellite faces at hypersonic rarefied flow to calculate the drag coefficient. The mathematical model considers the gravitational potential of the Earth and the deceleration due to drag. To analyze the effects of the rotation during the decay, multiple trajectories were propagated, comparing the results obtained assuming a constant drag coefficient with trajectories where the drag coefficient changes periodically. The initial perigees selected were lower than 400 km of altitude with eccentricities ranging from 0.00 to 0.02. Six values for the angular velocity were applied in the maneuver. The technique of rotating the spacecraft is an interesting solution to increase the orbit decay of a CubeSat without implementing additional de-orbit devices. Significant changes in the decay time are presented due to the increase of the mean drag coefficient calculated by the panel method, when the maneuver is applied, reducing the orbital lifetime, however the results are independent of the angular velocity of the satellite.     

Impact of orbit modeling on DORIS station position and Earth rotation estimates

The high precision of estimated station coordinates and Earth rotation parameters (ERP) obtained from satellite geodetic techniques is based on the precise determination of the satellite orbit. This paper focuses on the analysis of the impact of different orbit parameterizations on the accuracy of station coordinates and the ERPs derived from DORIS observations. In a series of experiments the DORIS data from the complete year 2011 were processed with different orbit model settings. First, the impact of precise modeling of the non-conservative forces on geodetic parameters was compared with results obtained with an empirical-stochastic modeling approach. Second, the temporal spacing of drag scaling parameters was tested. Third, the impact of estimating once-per-revolution harmonic accelerations in cross-track direction was analyzed. And fourth, two different approaches for solar radiation pressure (SRP) handling were compared, namely adjusting SRP scaling parameter or fixing it on pre-defined values.     

Use of two-line element data for thermosphere neutral density model calibration

Traditional empirical thermospheric density models are widely used in orbit determination and prediction of low-Earth satellites. Unfortunately, these models often exhibit large density errors of up to around 30% RMS. Density errors translate into orbit errors, adversely affecting applications such as re-entry operations, manoeuvre planning, collision avoidance and precise orbit determination for geodetic missions. The extensive database of two-line element (TLE) orbit data contains a wealth of information on satellite drag, at a sufficiently high spatial and temporal resolution to allow a calibration of existing neutral density models with a latency of one to two days. In our calibration software, new TLE data for selected objects is converted to satellite drag data on a daily basis. The resulting drag data is then used in a daily adjustment of density model calibration parameters, which modify the output of an existing empirical density model with the aim of increasing its accuracy. Two different calibration schemes have been tested using TLE data for about 50 objects during the year 2000. The schemes involve either height-dependent scale factors to the density or corrections to CIRA-72 model temperatures, which affect the density output based on a physical model. Both schemes have been applied with different spherical harmonic expansions of the parameters in latitude and local solar time. Five TLE objects, varying in perigee altitude between 280 and 530 km, were deliberately not used during calibration, in order to provide independent validation. Even with a single daily parameter, the RMS density model error along their tracks can already be reduced from the 30% to the 15% level. Adding additional parameters results in RMS errors lower than 12%.     

High accuracy satellite drag model (HASDM)

The dominant error source in force models used to predict low-perigee satellite trajectories is atmospheric drag. Errors in operational thermospheric density models cause significant errors in predicted satellite positions, since these models do not account for dynamic changes in atmospheric drag for orbit predictions. The Air Force Space Battlelab’s High Accuracy Satellite Drag Model (HASDM) estimates and predicts (out three days) a dynamically varying global density field. HASDM includes the Dynamic Calibration Atmosphere (DCA) algorithm that solves for the phases and amplitudes of the diurnal and semidiurnal variations of thermospheric density near real-time from the observed drag effects on a set of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) calibration satellites. The density correction is expressed as a function of latitude, local solar time and altitude. In HASDM, a time series prediction filter relates the extreme ultraviolet (EUV) energy index E_10.7 and the geomagnetic storm index a_p, to the DCA density correction parameters. The E_10.7 index is generated by the SOLAR2000 model, the first full spectrum model of solar irradiance. The estimated and predicted density fields will be used operationally to significantly improve the accuracy of predicted trajectories for all low-perigee satellites.     

近圆低轨卫星星座相位保持方法

主要研究无轨道高度保持要求的近圆低轨卫星星座相位保持方法.首先根据轨道摄动理论，推导了考虑J2摄动和大气阻尼摄动的卫星相位漂移模型，分别给出基于固定基准星和基于虚拟基准星的相位偏差两种表达方法.在此基础上，按照星座各星轨道衰减一致和不一致两种情况，分别提出两种表示方法理论的和考虑实际控制误差的相位保持策略.通过一个walker星座仿真算例验证了两种方法的有效性.仿真结果显示，两种方法在各星轨道衰减一致和不一致两种情况均可有效完成相位维持任务，当各星轨道衰减一致时两种方法在控制次数和控制总量上无明显差异；在各星轨道衰减不一致情况下，基于固定基准星的相位保持策略更优.     

Estimation of ballistic coefficients of low altitude debris objects from historical two line elements

This paper presents a new method for estimating ballistic coefficients (BCs) of low perigee debris objects from their historical two line elements (TLEs). The method uses the drag perturbation equation of the semi-major axis of the orbit. For an object with perigee altitude below 700 km, the variation in the mean semi-major axis derived from the TLE is mainly caused by the atmospheric drag effect, and therefore is used as the source in the estimation of the ballistic coefficient. The method is tested using the GRACE satellites, and a number of debris objects with external ballistic coefficient values, and agreements of about 10% are achieved.     

On prediction of re-entry time of an upper stage from GTO

The evolution of objects in geostationary transfer orbit (GTO) is determined by a complex interplay of atmospheric drag and luni-solar gravity. These orbits are highly eccentric (eccentricity >0.7) and have large variations in velocity and perturbations during a revolution. The periodic changes in the perigee altitudes of these orbits are mainly due to the gravitational perturbations of the Sun and the Moon. The re-entry time of the objects in such orbits is sensitive to the initial conditions. The aim of this paper is to study the re-entry time of the cryogenic stage of the Indian geo-synchronous launch vehicle, GSLV-F04/CS, which has been decaying since 2 September 2007 from initial orbit with eccentricity equal to 0.706. Two parameters, initial eccentricity and ballistic coefficient, are chosen for optimal estimation. It is known that the errors are more in eccentricity for the observations based on two line elements (TLEs). These two parameters are computed with response surface method using a genetic algorithm for the selected eight different zones, based on rough linear variation of the mean apogee altitude during 200 days orbit evolution. The study shows that the GSLV-F04/CS will re-enter between 5 December 2010 and 7 January 2011. The methodology is also applied to study the re-entry of six decayed objects (cryogenic stages of GSLV and Molniya satellites). Good agreement is noticed between the actual and the predicted re-entry times. The absolute percentage error in re-entry prediction time for all the six objects is found to be less than 7%. The present methodology is being adopted at Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) to predict the re-entry time of GSLV-F04/CS.     

基于卫星自旋的纯引力轨道万有引力干扰抑制

一个称为“内卫星”的验证质量块位于外卫星的内部空腔中,不与外卫星接触而自由飞行,由于外卫星的屏蔽,其不受大气阻力、太阳光压等干扰作用,沿着纯引力轨道飞行。外卫星会对内卫星产生万有引力作用,是内卫星纯引力轨道的主要残余干扰。根据卫星相对运动动力学方程,建立了万有引力干扰对内卫星纯引力轨道影响的分析模型;基于将外卫星绕轨道面法向旋转以调制万有引力的策略,建立了外卫星自旋对万有引力干扰影响的抑制模型。以内编队纯引力飞行系统为例,对比计算了外卫星有无自旋时万有引力干扰对内卫星纯引力轨道的影响。基于模型的分析表明,外卫星自旋能够显著抑制万有引力干扰对内卫星纯引力轨道的长期影响;实例计算表明,万有引力干扰的天长期影响能够降低5~7个数量级。     

Mass loading of planetary atmospheres by rocky satellites—II: Transport and enhanced lifetimes of satellite ejecta in planetary magnetospheres

Extensive studies have been conducted concerning individual mass, temporal and positional distribution of submicron rocky ejecta existing in the satellite-planetary gravitational sphere of influence. The transit time of the major portion of the ejecta that is transported from the satellite's gravitational sphere of influence to the planetary magnetopause is about one week and represents a mass loading pulse occurring each satellite orbit. The mass-flux distributions of lunar ejecta at the surface of the magnetopause for a complete lunar orbit are presented. Spatial mass densities of lunar ejecta in specific zones of the magnetosphere provide a means to compare sporadic interplanetary dust spatial mass densities in the same zones.     

Effective Coulomb force modeling for spacecraft in Earth orbit plasmas

Coulomb formation flight is a concept that utilizes electrostatic forces to control the separations of close proximity spacecraft. The Coulomb force between charged bodies is a product of their size, separation, potential and interaction with the local plasma environment. A fast and accurate analytic method of capturing the interaction of a charged body in a plasma is shown. The Debye–Hückel analytic model of the electrostatic field about a charged sphere in a plasma is expanded to analytically compute the forces. This model is fitted to numerical simulations with representative geosynchronous and low Earth orbit (GEO and LEO) plasma environments using an effective Debye length. This effective Debye length, which more accurately captures the charge partial shielding, can be up to 7 times larger at GEO, and as great as 100 times larger at LEO. The force between a sphere and point charge is accurately captured with the effective Debye length, as opposed to the electron Debye length solutions that have errors exceeding 50%. One notable finding is that the effective Debye lengths in LEO plasmas about a charged body are increased from centimeters to meters. This is a promising outcome, as the reduced shielding at increased potentials provides sufficient force levels for operating the electrostatically inflated membrane structures concept at these dense plasma altitudes.     

近地卫星和星座离轨机动研究

空间碎片减缓的积极措施之一是要求近地卫星在使命完成以后进行离轨机动,然后依靠大气阻力作用使卫星在不到25年的时间内自行消失.对此,研究了离轨机动的代价与使命后寿命的关系,提出并解决了正问题和逆问题;介绍了计算卫星寿命的高效率方法.为近地轨道卫星的设计提供了处理离轨机动问题的实用方法.      

卫星轨道保持的一类控制模型

地球赤道静止卫星希望其定点位置固定不变 ;采用轨迹重复的近地轨道的对地遥感卫星 ,需要具有固定的地面轨迹位置 ;如果这类遥感卫星还同时采用太阳同步轨道 ,则还要求降交点地方平太阳时固定不变。上述这三种情况虽然其物理机制各不相同 ,但其变化及控制过程可以抽象出一种共同的模型。文章首先给出这个统一的模型并对其进行讨论 ,然后将结果应用到所述的三种具体情况     

基于多模型最优融合的双星定位系统一体化精密定轨方法

针对卫星动力学模型复杂且不准,考虑到卫星定轨中待估参数在时间和空间上的相关性,提出了一种基于多模型最优融合的双星定位系统一体化参数建模的近地卫星精密定轨新方法.利用节点自由分布B样条描述卫星运动,实现了对卫星粗略动力学模型的抑制作用;同时结合双星观测模型,使该方法转化为关于求解卫星轨道样条表示参数和定轨系统误差的多模型融合的非线性优化问题;通过引入模型结构确定最优融合权值的选取准则,在最小二乘准则下,采用非线性最优化方法搜寻样条的最优节点分布,得到了待估参数的最优估计,完成了近地卫星的精密定轨.理论分析和仿真计算表明,该方法确实有效,不仅提高了卫星的定轨精度,而且使状态估计的结构更加稳定.      

Thermosphere densities derived from Swarm GPS observations

After the detection of many anomalies in the Swarm accelerometer data, an alternative method has been developed to determine thermospheric densities for the three-satellite mission. Using a precise orbit determination approach, non-gravitational and aerodynamic-only accelerations are estimated from the high-quality Swarm GPS data. The GPS-derived non-gravitational accelerations serve as a baseline for the correction of the Swarm-C along-track accelerometer data. The aerodynamic accelerations are converted directly into thermospheric densities for all Swarm satellites, albeit at a much lower temporal resolution than the accelerometers would have been able to deliver. The resulting density and acceleration data sets are part of the European Space Agency Level 2 Swarm products.To improve the Swarm densities, two modifications have recently been added to our original processing scheme. They consist of a more refined handling of radiation pressure accelerations and the use of a high-fidelity satellite geometry and improved aerodynamic model. These modifications lead to a better agreement between estimated Swarm densities and NRLMSISE-00 model densities. The GPS-derived Swarm densities show variations due to solar and geomagnetic activity, as well as seasonal, latitudinal and diurnal variations. For low solar activity, however, the aerodynamic signal experienced by the Swarm satellites is very small, and therefore it is more difficult to accurately resolve latitudinal density variability using GPS data, especially for the higher-flying Swarm-B satellite. Therefore, mean orbit densities are also included in the Swarm density product.     

基于会切场推力器无拖曳系统建模及参数优化

随着卫星重力测量技术的突破性进展,对航天器试验环境要求也在不断提高,航天器受到的残余扰动必须尽可能减小。作为中国将来重力场测量卫星备选主推力器的会切场推力器,其推力器的控制精度直接决定了测量的准确性。文章首先通过PID方法设计了位移模式下的无拖曳控制器,该控制器在预估阻力系数、参考质量与卫星本体的位移差、速度差等性能方面有良好的表现,在应对卫星运行时的突发情况时表现出很强的稳定性。但PID参数没有达到最优解,在此基础上对于该模型的控制精度进行优化,用遗传算法对PID控制的参数进行筛选。结果分析表明,会切场推力器的控制精度有所改善,NTW方向上的速度和位移误差均减小;推力阻力和显著减少;控制精度提高,更好地满足使用需求。     

超低轨道卫星应用离子电推进技术方案

低地球轨道大气环境对诸如科学探测和对地观测卫星的阻尼作用十分明显，而且阻尼随太阳和地磁活动以及昼夜、季节交替变化范围宽。为了保证卫星轨道精度或飞行状态满足任务要求，需要利用推进系统对卫星受到的阻尼进行实时或间歇式补偿以实现轨道或飞行状态的保持。针对轨道高度220~268km的无拖曳飞行和轨道维持应用，基于卫星轨道阻尼变化和有效载荷指标要求分析，研究确定了离子电推进技术指标、推力调节方案、系统组成、推力控制方案和在轨应用策略，并对推力调节方案进行了试验验证。结果表明，与无拖曳飞行卫星任务匹配的离子电推进指标为推力调节范围1~20mN，推力分辨率优于12μN，与对地观测卫星轨道维持任务匹配的指标为推力调节范围1～25mN，推力分辨率100μN。研究提出的针对超低轨道卫星应用需求的高精度推力连续调节离子电推进技术方案，具有工程任务针对性和参考价值。     

一种高效的计算卫星轨道寿命的方法

关于在大气阻力作用下卫星生存寿命的估计 ,提出了一种高效的数值方法 ,称为微分 -积分法。它的实质是以轨道要素的平均变化率为基础的微分方程 ,而方程的右端包含定积分。与传统方法比较验证了此新方法的正确性 ,并且显示了它的极高效率。在诸如空间碎片减缓这种需要非常大量的计算卫星寿命的问题中 ,新方法的价值得到充分体现。