Generating precise and homogeneous orbits for Jason-1 and Jason-2

Driven by the GMES (Global Monitoring for Environment and Security) and GGOS (Global Geodetic Observing System) initiatives the user community has a strong demand for high-quality altimetry products. In order to derive such high-quality altimetry products, precise orbits for the altimetry satellites are a necessity. With the launch of the TOPEX/Poseidon mission in 1992 a still on-going time series of high-accuracy altimetry measurements of ocean topography started, continued by the altimetry missions Jason-1 in 2001 and Jason-2/OSTM in 2008. This paper contributes to the on-going orbit reprocessing carried out by several groups and presents the efforts of the Navigation Support Office at ESA/ESOC using its NAPEOS software for the generation of precise and homogeneous orbits referring to the same reference frame for the altimetry satellites Jason-1 and Jason-2. Data of all three tracking instruments on-board the satellites (beside the altimeter), i.e. GPS, DORIS, and SLR measurements, were used in a combined data analysis. About 7 years of Jason-1 data and more than 1 year of Jason-2 data were processed. Our processing strategy is close to the GDR-C standards. However, we estimated slightly different scaling factors for the solar radiation pressure model of 0.96 and 0.98 for Jason-1 and Jason-2, respectively. We used 30 s sampled GPS data and introduced 30 s satellite clocks stemming from ESOC’s reprocessing of the combined GPS/GLONASS IGS solution. We present the orbit determination results, focusing on the benefits of adding GPS data to the solution. The fully combined solution was found to give the best orbit results. We reach a post-fit RMS of the GPS phase observation residuals of 6 mm for Jason-1 and 7 mm for Jason-2. The DORIS post-fit residuals clearly benefit from using GPS data in addition, as the DORIS data editing improves. The DORIS observation RMS for the fully combined solution is with 3.5 mm and 3.4 mm, respectively, 0.3 mm better than for the DORIS-SLR solution. Our orbit solution agrees well with external solutions from other analysis centers, as CNES, LCA, and JPL. The orbit differences between our fully combined orbits and the CNES GDR-C orbits are of about 0.8 cm for Jason-1 and at 0.9 cm for Jason-2 in the radial direction. In the cross-track component we observe a clear improvement when adding GPS data to the POD process. The 3D-RMS of the orbit differences reveals a good orbit consistency at 2.7 cm and 2.9 cm for Jason-1 and Jason-2. Our resulting orbit series for both Jason satellites refer to the ITRF2005 reference frame and are provided in sp3 file format on our ftp server.     

MEO/LEO双层卫星网络中层间链路的连接度分析

作为未来卫星移动通信系统的一个重要的研究方向,提出了一种由MEO卫星和LEO卫星共同组成的双层卫星网络(Double-Layer Satellite Network,DLSN),以更好为用户提供多媒体服务.作为多层卫星网络的一个重要的研究内容,连接不同高度上卫星的层间链路(Inter-Orbit-Links,IOLs)的特性对于整个DLSN网络的性能会有很大的影响.根据所设计的多层卫星网络的星座参数,通过对层间链路几何特性的研究,分析了多层卫星网络中MEO卫星与LEO卫星的连接度性能.采用计算机仿真的方法,给出了层间链路连接度的特性.结果表明,为了提高网络性能,在多层卫星网络中应按照一定参数有选择的建立层间链路,而不是简单的采用视距可见原则建立层间链路.     

一种低轨卫星应对月影干扰方法

针对2012年5月21日某低轨卫星受到月影干扰导致控制系统工作异常的问题,分析了月影现象产生原理,结合月影期间影响卫星安全的异常原因,系统分析了卫星平台能源预警机制与驱动控制系统中的太阳帆板控制方案,提出了某型号低轨卫星应对月影现象安全运行的处置方法和后续同类型卫星能源管理修改建议.该方法分别在2012年11月9日、2013年5月10日得到应用,在月影期,该卫星太阳阵输出电流从4.5A下降到2A,太阳帆板对日转动正常,能源管理系统未出现报警.应用结果说明,该方法能够有效地解决同类型卫星月影干扰的问题.     

Exploration life support technology challenges for the Crew Exploration Vehicle and future human missions

As NASA implements the U.S. Space Exploration Policy, life support systems must be provided for an expanding sequence of exploration missions. NASA has implemented effective life support for Apollo, the Space Shuttle, and the International Space Station (ISS) and continues to develop advanced systems. This paper provides an overview of life support requirements, previously implemented systems, and new technologies being developed by the Exploration Life Support Project for the Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV) and Lunar Outpost and future Mars missions. The two contrasting practical approaches to providing space life support are (1) open loop direct supply of atmosphere, water, and food, and (2) physicochemical regeneration of air and water with direct supply of food. Open loop direct supply of air and water is cost effective for short missions, but recycling oxygen and water saves costly launch mass on longer missions. Because of the short CEV mission durations, the CEV life support system will be open loop as in Apollo and Space Shuttle. New life support technologies for CEV that address identified shortcomings of existing systems are discussed. Because both ISS and Lunar Outpost have a planned 10-year operational life, the Lunar Outpost life support system should be regenerative like that for ISS and it could utilize technologies similar to ISS. The Lunar Outpost life support system, however, should be extensively redesigned to reduce mass, power, and volume, to improve reliability and incorporate lessons learned, and to take advantage of technology advances over the last 20 years. The Lunar Outpost design could also take advantage of partial gravity and lunar resources.     

基于IP组网的低轨航天器大容量文件传输方法

空间科学的发展使航天测控中遥感和图像等数据量日益增大,如何实现天地间大容量文件的传输已成为一个重要问题。鉴于测控网正在向全IP化的方向发展,提出一种在IP组网基础上的低轨航天器大容量文件的传输方案,并就方案中文件的分块传输及卫星在测控站间切换时文件的续传等关键问题进行探讨。在此基础上,对提出的方案进行实验分析,验证了其可行性。     

Ambiguity resolution performance with GPS and BeiDou for LEO formation flying

The evolving BeiDou Navigation Satellite System constellation brings new opportunities for high-precision applications. In this contribution the focus will be on one such application, namely precise and instantaneous relative navigation of a formation of LEO satellites. The aim is to assess the ambiguity resolution performance with the future GPS and BeiDou constellations depending on system choice (GPS, BeiDou, or GPS+BeiDou), single- or dual-frequency observations, receiver noise, and uncertainties in ionosphere modelling. In addition, for the GPS+BeiDou constellation it will be shown how the growing BeiDou constellation in the years to come can already bring an important performance improvement compared to the GPS-only case. The performance will be assessed based on the percentage of time that the required precision can be obtained with a partial ambiguity resolution strategy.     

Interplanetary CubeSats system for space weather evaluations and technology demonstration

The paper deals with the mission analysis and conceptual design of an interplanetary 6U CubeSats system to be implemented in the L₁ Earth–Sun Lagrangian Point mission for solar observation and in-situ space weather measurements.     

Optical orbital debris spotter

The number of man-made debris objects orbiting the Earth, or orbital debris, is alarmingly increasing, resulting in the increased probability of degradation, damage, or destruction of operating spacecraft. In part, small objects (<10 cm) in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) are of concern because they are abundant and difficult to track or even to detect on a routine basis. Due to the increasing debris population it is reasonable to assume that improved capabilities for on-orbit damage attribution, in addition to increased capabilities to detect and track small objects are needed. Here we present a sensor concept to detect small debris with sizes between approximately 1.0 and 0.01 cm in the vicinity of a host spacecraft for near real time damage attribution and characterization of dense debris fields and potentially to provide additional data to existing debris models.     

低地球轨道航天器涂层防护技术研究进展

低地球轨道(LEO)环境极为复杂,紫外辐照、原子氧辐照、高能粒子辐照等因素并存,对航天器用有机材料提出苛刻要求。为满足长寿命安全飞行,必须对航天器特别是其上采用的有机材料进行防护。文章简述了LEO环境中各因素对航天器的影响,总结了航天器防护技术特别是涂层防护方案的研究进展,并指出了未来发展方向。     

低轨导航增强卫星星座设计

针对目前全球低轨卫星快速发展的现状,对低轨导航增强卫星星座设计方法进行了详细的研究。首先推导了轨道高度与可视球冠的关系,结合太空垃圾分布,从覆盖范围、经济性及碰撞风险几方面联合确定了轨道高度。然后推导了用户仰角与轨道倾角的关系,分析了实现南北极点覆盖的轨道倾角。接着结合铱星星座,推导出单一星座构型无法实现全球范围内均匀的可见星和精度衰减因子（Dilution of Precision,DOP）值分布。最后提出了一种组合低轨卫星星座设计方法。结果表明,该方法设计的组合星座在实现全球覆盖的同时,能够实现可见星数量与DOP值在全球范围内的均匀分布。