Satellite formation reconfiguration and station-keeping using state-dependent Riccati equation technique

The current paper presents optimal reconfigurations and formation-keeping for formation flying satellites. The state-dependent Riccati equation (SDRE) technique is utilized as a non-linear controller for both the reconfiguration problem and formation-keeping problem. For the SDRE controller, a state-dependent coefficient (SDC) form is formulated to include non-linearities in the relative dynamics and J₂ orbital perturbation. The Taylor series and a transformation matrix are used to establish the SDC form. Optimal reconfiguration trajectories that minimize energy in satellite formation flying are obtained by the SDRE controller and compared with those obtained from a linear quadratic regulator (LQR) and a linear parameter varying (LPV) control method. It is illustrated that the SDRE non-linear controller of the current study obtains relocation accuracy of less than 0.1% of formation base-line length, while the LQR controller and LPV controller yield relatively large relocation errors. The formation-keeping controller developed using the SDRE technique in the current study also provides robustness under severe orbital perturbations.     

Nonlinear robust observer design for strapdown INS in-flight alignment

A nonlinear observer is proposed for a strapdown inertial navigation system (SDINS) in-flight alignment problem using an H/sub /spl infin// filter Riccati equation and a freedom parameter. The proposed observer improves the filtering stability, convergence, and performance. The characteristics of the observer are analyzed using a Lyapunov function. Simulation results demonstrate a significant reduction in alignment errors by employing the proposed nonlinear observer. The observer is developed in general such that it can be applied to estimating nonlinear systems other than the SDINS in-flight alignment.     

Updated TUS space fluorescence detector for study of UHECR

The TUS (Tracking Ultra-violet Set up) space fluorescence detector has to be launched in 2010 as a separated platform in Foton (Bion) mission prepared by the Samara enterprise. This detector was designed for another satellite and the updated variant of the TUS detector for a new platform is presented. The data on UV glow of the atmosphere obtained in operation of one pixel of the TUS detector on board the Moscow State University “Universitetsky-Tatiana” satellite was taken into account in design of the updated TUS detector. The data on UV transient flashes registered in “Universitetsky-Tatiana” mission are of special interest. Electronics of the TUS detector able to select and register different types of UV events in the atmosphere is presented.     

Attitude controller design for orbital target tracking of geostationary satellite under avoidance constraint

A coordinated attitude control problem is addressed for which a geostationary satellite should maintain communication with a ground station while simultaneously tracking space objects. The coordinated attitude control discussed in this study is related to the attitude maneuvers of a tracking satellite and to the orbital motion of targets placed in orbits of lower altitudes. Modified Rodrigues parameters are employed to avoid singularities even in the presence of large attitude maneuvers. The initial attitude error is calculated based upon an arbitrary initial configuration for the target tracking, so that a sequential tracking from one to another target can be achieved easily. Additionally, avoidance maneuvers aimed at protecting sensitive onboard sensors from the Sun and the Moon are designed using the so-called navigation function. When the avoidance areas are on the transient path due to the coordinated attitude maneuver command, the maneuver is performed with no violation against the given constraint areas by adopting the navigation function.     

The Dawn Gravity Investigation at Vesta and Ceres

The objective of the Dawn gravity investigation is to use high precision X-band Doppler tracking and landmark tracking from optical images to measure the gravity fields of Vesta and Ceres to a half-wavelength surface resolution better than 90-km and 300-km, respectively. Depending on the Doppler tracking assumptions, the gravity field will be determined to somewhere between harmonic degrees 15 and 25 for Vesta and about degree 10 for Ceres. The gravity fields together with shape models determined from Dawn??s framing camera constrain models of the interior from the core to the crust. The gravity field is determined jointly with the spin pole location. The second degree harmonics together with assumptions on obliquity or hydrostatic equilibrium may determine the moments of inertia.     

Correspondence

Extraction of elevation information with phased array search radar in the presence of specular reflection from sea surface is presented. Specular reflection from sea causes large peak errors in the measurement of low elevation angle. An algorithm based on complex indicated angle is derived to reduce specular reflection component. From the complex indicated angle and the exactly known or approximately known data, the authors can generate a specular reflection error finding function (SREFF). SREFF clearly indicates where the measurements are much affected by the specular reflection in the complex indicated angle data     

First measurements of cosmic-ray nuclei at high energy with CREAM

The balloon-borne cosmic-ray experiment CREAM-I (Cosmic-Ray Energetics And Mass) recently completed a successful 42-day flight during the 2004–2005 NASA/NSF/NSBF Antarctic expedition. CREAM-I combines an imaging calorimeter with charge detectors and a precision transition radiation detector (TRD). The TRD component of CREAM-I is targeted at measuring the energy of cosmic-ray particles with charges greater than Z ∼ 3. A central science goal of this effort is the determination of the ratio of secondary to primary nuclei at high energy. This measurement is crucial for the reconstruction of the propagation history of cosmic rays, and consequently for the determination of their source spectra. First scientific results from this instrument are presented.     

The Scientific Measurement System of the Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) Mission

The Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) mission to the Moon utilized an integrated scientific measurement system comprised of flight, ground, mission, and data system elements in order to meet the end-to-end performance required to achieve its scientific objectives. Modeling and simulation efforts were carried out early in the mission that influenced and optimized the design, implementation, and testing of these elements. Because the two prime scientific observables, range between the two spacecraft and range rates between each spacecraft and ground stations, can be affected by the performance of any element of the mission, we treated every element as part of an extended science instrument, a science system. All simulations and modeling took into account the design and configuration of each element to compute the expected performance and error budgets. In the process, scientific requirements were converted to engineering specifications that became the primary drivers for development and testing. Extensive simulations demonstrated that the scientific objectives could in most cases be met with significant margin. Errors are grouped into dynamic or kinematic sources and the largest source of non-gravitational error comes from spacecraft thermal radiation. With all error models included, the baseline solution shows that estimation of the lunar gravity field is robust against both dynamic and kinematic errors and a nominal field of degree 300 or better could be achieved according to the scaled Kaula rule for the Moon. The core signature is more sensitive to modeling errors and can be recovered with a small margin.     

Future Directions in Automation and Robotics for Manufacturing

The current emphasis on designing flexible manufacturing systems, particularly in the electronics manufacturing industry, is bringing automation and robotics technologies to the factory at increasing rates. The rate of advance in these technologies raises serious concerns among engineers and managers about how to proceed in building modern manufacturing systems. A large portion of this uncertainty results from the difficulty of fitting technological advances into the existing models of manufacturing. What is needed is a new framework within which to perceive automation and robotics which will permit the adoption of more encompassing design strategies and principles to be followed in the practice of modernizing and maintaining advanced electronics manufacturing systems. This paper provides a framework that might be adopted to structure new strategies for incorporating automation and robotics in manufacturing. The approach is one that we at SRI have found useful in considering automation and robotics issues for the NASA Space Station and other complex systems which need to incorporate new technologies throughout long lifetimes. These same issues are becoming increasingly important in electronics manufacturing system design and development.     

A Bound on Processor Gain

In data transmission systems using electromagnetic propagation there is often interest in the antijam capability of the system and the probability that the transmitted signal can be intercepted. It is shown that, neglecting antenna gain, both of these are adequately described by the processor gain. An information theoretic bound is given for the processor gain and the performance of several conventional signaling systems is indicated. Improvement using forward error correction is also investigated.