A multiple-CubeSat constellation for integrated earth observation and marine/air traffic monitoring

CubeSats has evolved from purely educational tools, to useful platforms for technology demonstration and many practical applications. This paper reviews a CubeSat constellation mission involving 3 CubeSats launched into orbit on Sep. 25th 2015, aiming to demonstrate the integrated application of low-cost CubeSat technologies with distributed payloads using a group of satellites, as well as to demonstrate several new technologies. The mission scenario, the satellite system design, the innovative technologies and instruments or devices used on the CubeSats and the in-orbit experimental results and the payload data analysis, as well as some experiences and lessons learned, are presented and summaried.     

Deorbiter CubeSat mission design

This paper presents the mission design for a CubeSat-based active debris removal approach intended for transferring sizable debris objects from low-Earth orbit to a deorbit altitude of 100 km. The mission consists of a mothership spacecraft that carries and deploys several debris-removing nanosatellites, called Deorbiter CubeSats. Each Deorbiter is designed based on the utilization of an eight-unit CubeSat form factor and commercially-available components with significant flight heritage. The mothership spacecraft delivers Deorbiter CubeSats to the vicinity of a predetermined target debris, through performing a long-range rendezvous maneuver. Through a formation flying maneuver, the mothership then performs in-situ measurements of debris shape and orbital state. Upon release from the mothership, each Deorbiter CubeSat proceeds to performing a rendezvous and attachment maneuver with a debris object. Once attached to the debris, the CubeSat performs a detumbling maneuver, by which the residual angular momentum of the CubeSat-debris system is dumped using Deorbiter’s onboard reaction wheels. After stabilizing the attitude motion of the combined Deorbiter-debris system, the CubeSat proceeds to performing a deorbiting maneuver, i.e., reducing system’s altitude so much so that the bodies disintegrate and burn up due to atmospheric drag, typically at around 100 km above the Earth surface. The attitude and orbital maneuvers that are planned for the mission are described, both for the mothership and Deorbiter CubeSat. The performance of each spacecraft during their operations is investigated, using the actual performance specifications of the onboard components. The viability of the proposed debris removal approach is discussed in light of the results.     

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.     

月球立方星姿态控制系统的初步设计与测试

立方星是一种模块化的微小卫星,在科学探测与专业人才培养等方面具有重要意义。针对目前立方星任务逐渐从近地轨道向深空扩展的发展趋势,以立方星月球深空任务为背景,利用商业器件设计并实现了初步的立方星姿态控制系统,以及姿态控制系统所必需的结构、电源、计算机等立方星子系统,同时给出了姿态测试平台的设计方案及其硬件实现。在所搭建硬件平台上,通过测量飞轮控制器的阻尼系数,对控制模型进行参数辨识与标定,获得了与数值仿真一致的实物测试结果。针对姿态控制系统设计了PD控制律,并在控制实验中实现了至任意姿态角的机动控制。     

Modeling satellite drag coefficients with response surfaces

Satellite drag coefficients are a major source of uncertainty in predicting the drag force on satellites in low Earth orbit. Among other things, accurately predicting the orbit requires detailed knowledge of the satellite drag coefficient. Computational methods are an important tool in computing the drag coefficient but are too intensive for real-time and predictive applications. Therefore, analytic or empirical models that can accurately predict drag coefficients are desired. This work uses response surfaces to model drag coefficients. The response surface methodology is validated by developing a response surface model for the drag coefficient of a sphere where the closed-form solution is known. The response surface model performs well in predicting the drag coefficient of a sphere with a root mean square percentage error less than 0.3% over the entire parameter space. For more complex geometries, such as the GRACE satellite, the Hubble Space Telescope, and the International Space Station, the model errors are only slightly larger at about 0.9%, 0.6%, and 1.0%, respectively.     

Decentralized differential drag based control of nanosatellites swarm spatial distribution using magnetorquers

Nanosatellites in the swarm initially move along arbitrary unbounded relative trajectories according to the launch initial conditions. Control algorithms developed in the paper are aimed to achieve the required spatial distribution of satellites in the along-track direction. The paper considers a swarm of 3U CubeSats in LEO, their form-factor is suitable for the aerodynamic control since the ratio of the satellite maximum to minimum cross-section areas is 3. Each satellite is provided with the information about the relative motion of neighboring satellites inside a specified communication area. The paper develops the corresponding decentralized control algorithms using the differential drag force. The required attitude control for each satellite is implemented by the active magnetic attitude control system. A set of decentralized control strategies is proposed taking into account the communicational constraints. The performance of these strategies is studied numerically. The swarm separation effect is demonstrated and investigated.     

基于TLE的Starlink星座第一阶段部署情况分析

近年来,随着卫星技术的快速发展和低轨（low earth orbit,LEO）卫星宽带互联网建设需求的不断增加,低轨大规模星座发展日新月异。针对Starlink星座初始化部署问题,首先论述了“星链”（Starlink）星座现状,分析在轨卫星高度变化。然后利用公开的两行轨道根数（two-line element,TLE）,从卫星发射入轨、轨道面分布两个方面,简要分析了Starlink星座的部署情况,给出升交点的变化规律;同时仿真分析了Starlink星座对地面的覆盖性能。最后,给出星座轨道面和相位分布、故障卫星处置以及可见卫星数量。所分析的结果以期为中国未来部署大规模LEO星座的建设提供借鉴。     

Preliminary mission profile of Hera’s Milani CubeSat

CubeSats offer a flexible and low-cost option to increase the scientific and technological return of small-body exploration missions. ESA’s Hera mission, the European component of the Asteroid Impact and Deflection Assessment (AIDA) international collaboration, plans on deploying two CubeSats in the proximity of binary system 65803 Didymos, after arrival in 2027. In this work, we discuss the feasibility and preliminary mission profile of Hera’s Milani CubeSat. The CubeSat mission is designed to achieve both scientific and technological objectives. We identify the design challenges and discuss design criteria to find suitable solutions in terms of mission analysis, operational trajectories, and Guidance, Navigation, & Control (GNC) design. We present initial trajectories and GNC baseline, as a result of trade-off analyses. We assess the feasibility of the Milani CubeSat mission and provide a preliminary solution to cover the operational mission profile of Milani in the close-proximity of Didymos system.     

Analysis and design of Cubesat constellation for the Mediterranean south costal monitoring against illegal immigration

Costal monitoring is focused on fast response to illegal immigration and illegal ship traffic. Especially, the illegal ship traffic has been present in media since April 2015, as the number of reported deaths of immigrants crossing the Mediterranean significantly increased. Satellite images provide a possibility to at least partially control both types of events. This paper defines the principal criteria to select the best satellite constellation architecture for maritime and coastal monitoring, filling the gaps of imagery techniques in term of real-time control. The primary purpose of a constellation is to obtain global measurement improving the temporal resolution. The small size and low-cost are the main factors, which make CubeSats ideal for use in constellations. We propose a constellation of 9 Cubesats distributed evenly in 3 different planes. This reduces the revisit time enhancing the coverage duration. In addition, it also allows observing fire, damage on building and similar disasters. In this analysis, the performance criteria were reported such as the revisit time, the vision duration and the area coverage.     

Broglio Drag Balance for neutral thermosphere density measurement on UNICubeSAT

The nanosatellite UNICubeSAT is described, carrying a Broglio Drag Balance Instrument for neutral thermosphere density in situ measurements. The aim of the mission is to contribute to the development of accurate thermosphere models, achieving in situ, real time measurements of atmosphere density, that could be exploited for global atmosphere model validation and accurate short term (1–3 days) real time space weather forecasts. The satellite is inexpensive and swarms could be easily launched operating as a distributed sensor network to get simultaneous in situ local (not orbit averaged) measurements in multiple positions and orbit heights. The nanosatellite is based on the Cubesat standard architecture, weighing about 1 kg for 1-L volume. Atmospheric drag force is measured by the displacement of light plates exposed to the incoming particle flux seen by the spacecraft, applying the original three dimensional Broglio Drag Balance concept to a single nanosatellite axis. The instrument concept and its relation to the satellite bus is depicted, showing that many long term potential measurement error sources and biases can be removed in data processing if the spacecraft is spin stabilized. The expected accuracy in density measurements is 20%. The instrument cost is a fraction of that of accurate accelerometers. The onboard systems are based on commercial off the shelf components, in accordance with the short lifetime typical of aeronomy satellites.     

翼伞系统纵向飞行性能分析

翼伞系统的飞行性能不仅取决于翼伞本身的气动特性,而且与安装角、伞绳长度、回收物阻力特征、翼载荷等系统参数密切相关。文章应用拉格朗日方程建立翼伞系统的纵向飞行力学模型,对翼伞系统进行飞行力学数值仿真,深入分析了系统参数以及开伞状态对翼伞系统纵向飞行性能的影响规律。结果表明：只有安装角在0°～20°时,翼伞系统才能达到稳定的滑翔状态,且安装角在4°～6°时对应两个稳定的滑翔状态,具体由开伞姿态和速度决定;伞绳特征长度的增加使系统的静稳定性增加;回收物的阻力特征增加6m2,翼伞系统的稳定滑翔角增加15°左右,而迎角减小不到1°;翼伞飞行速度随着翼载荷的增加而增加,其平方与回收物质量成正比。上述结论可为翼伞系统的工程实际应用提供参考。     

阻力和升力加速度指令快速解析与跟踪制导

针对升力式飞行器的滑翔段制导问题,提出一种阻力和升力加速度指令在线快速解析与跟踪制导方法。通过一维质点运动学解析并加权直接得到阻力加速度指令。引入虚拟目标和伪视线角的概念,将比例导引应用于滑翔段得到升力加速度指令。利用阻力加速度和攻角的单调性关系, 通过改变攻角跟踪阻力加速度指令。倾侧角用于辅助跟踪阻力加速度指令,满足给定条件后切换至跟踪升力加速度指令。航迹方向角的控制通过倾侧角按反转走廊边界改变正负号实现。动压、热流、过载等约束可通过相关敏感参数的设计得到满足。所提方法不依赖参考轨迹和攻角剖面,计算量小,可实现对终端速度和终端高度的高精度控制。      

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.     

Optimal mission planning of the reconfiguration process of satellite constellations through orbital maneuvers: A novel technical framework

In this paper, a general new methodology is presented for the orbital reconfiguration of satellite constellations on the basis of Lambert targeting theorem. In view of the cost and risk reduction, it is very important to consider the problem of satellite constellation reconfiguration with the two constraints of overall mission cost minimization and the desired final configuration. Hence, the dependent non-simultaneous deployment approach is proposed to minimize overall fuel cost. Despite the fact that the satellites deploy in a non-simultaneous manner, supplementary phasing maneuvers on the target orbital pattern to achieve the desired orbital configuration are avoided. Moreover, a novel idea is presented to optimize the flight of satellites, which plays an important role in complying with the constraint of overall fuel cost minimization as much as possible. In order to achieve the global optimal solution of the satellite constellation reconfiguration problem, the efficient hybrid Particle Swarm Optimization/Genetic Algorithm (PSO/GA) technique, is implemented. Finally, to indicate the superiority of the presented method, a comparison to the simultaneous maneuver viewpoint is made on a number of representative cases. The obtained results imply significant reduction of reconfiguration costs by employing the proposed method.     

剪叉伸缩竖杆式环形桁架机构设计与性能分析

空间可展开天线的展开平稳性是天线顺利展开的关键。天线的收展比是运载火箭空间配置的重要参考因素。为减小天线展开过程中的振动冲击,提高展开平稳性,降低空间可展天线收展比,梳理了可展开天线桁架机构的常见构型,提出一种剪叉伸缩竖杆式环形桁架机构,并详细介绍了该机构的基本单元及展开方式。对该机构的收展比进行具体分析,结果表明在相同口径和展开高度的情况下该机构的高径比比Astromesh天线桁架机构减小了35%左右。对该机构进行运动学和动力学建模,分析了机构展开平稳性,结果表明在相同大小驱动力作用下该机构的各节点加速度均方根是Astromesh天线桁架机构的30%左右,具有更好的展开平稳性。试制了缩比模型并进行了展开实验及相关参数测试,验证了机构设计的合理性及计算结果的准确性。     

Assessment of the close approach frequency and collision probability for satellites in different configurations of large constellations

The Earth orbital environment is drastically changing due to an intensification of the space activities. In particular, several projects of large constellations, proposed for the next years for communications purpose like global internet access, Internet of Things, or for Earth observations, will lead to the deployment of several thousands of new satellites at an unprecedented rate. It is a crucial challenge for space traffic management, which will deal with a great number of satellite conjunctions, potentially causing a collision with damaging consequences for the constellation itself and the space environment sustainability.In this paper, we investigate the close approach frequency and the cumulative collision probability for each referenced constellation. For this purpose, we compute the orbital evolution of satellites in different constellations during the lifecycle, from the deployment to the decommissioning, and we apply the CUBE algorithm and the Foster method to assess the collision probability with the background space debris population assuming a constant uncertainty in position. We show the variation of risk defined by the close approach frequency and the cumulative collision probability as a function of the proposed configuration. In particular, satellites of the Iridium and Kuiper constellation, but also satellite of the Telesat constellation on polar orbits are the most exposed at a collision. Moreover, the decommissioning phase contribute for a major part to the final cumulative collision probability.     

Thermosphere density and wind measurements in the equatorial region using a constellation of drag balance nanospacecraft

A mission for in situ thermosphere density and winds measurement is described, based on nanospacecraft equipped with a drag balance instrument (DBI) and a GPS receiver. The mission is based on nanosatellite clusters deployed in three orbital planes. In this study, clusters of 10 nanospacecraft are considered, leading to a mission based on a total of 30 nanospacecraft. The geometry analyzed is a symmetrical one, including an equatorial orbit and two orbits with the same inclination and opposing ascending nodes. The main idea is that, by combining the accurate information on the satellite inertial position and velocity provided by the GPS receiver and the drag acceleration intensity provided by the DBI, due to the orbits’ geometrical configuration, both atmospheric drag and wind can be resolved in a region close to the orbit nodes. Exploiting the Earth oblateness effect, a complete scan of the equatorial regions can be accomplished in the short mission lifetime typical of very low Earth orbit satellites, even in high solar activity peaks, when the expected nanospacecraft lifetime is about 40 days.     

Spin parameters of nanosatellite BLITS determined from Graz 2 kHz SLR data

The nanosatellite BLITS (Ball Lens In The Space) is the first object designed as a passive, spherical retroreflector of the Luneburg type, dedicated for Satellite Laser Ranging (SLR). The 2 kHz SLR station Graz measures spin parameters of this satellite, providing information about the rotational dynamics of the body. The measurements obtained during the period from September 26, 2009 to November 24, 2010 show a significant change of the spin configuration. The spin axis was dynamically precessing since the launch and currently is sinus-like behaving between coordinates RA 120°…150°, Dec 30°…60° (J2000 inertial reference frame). The angle between the symmetry axis and the spin axis of BLITS is not constant, but is decreasing since the launch, while its spin period is rather stable with a mean value of 5.613 s (clockwise rotation). The satellite was dynamically changing its attitude during the first three months after deployment; after this time the spin parameters are relatively stable.     

Charge-product control approach to electrostatic leader-follower formations in LEO plasma wakes

The feasibility of using electrostatic forces to stabilize a close-proximity leader-follower formation is investigated. The leader craft is equipped with a set of affixed spheres whose charge is modulated to hold the charged follower craft along a proscribed trajectory to its nominal leader-relative position. This charge structure and the follower craft are constrained to remain in the plasma wake generated behind all LEO craft because the more-dense ambient plasma outside the wake prevents object charging and electric field propagation. Once the formation is achieved, a controlled electric field is generated by the leader to counter relative accelerations from perturbations like differential drag and solar radiation pressure, holding the follow near its nominal position. Two controllers are derived for the system described, incorporating Coulomb accelerations and linearized gravity and drag accelerations. Simulations are run under unmodeled perturbations and sensor noise for different scenarios, demonstrating the challenges and benefits associated with electrostatic actuation.