Semi-analytical investigations of high area-to-mass ratio geosynchronous space debris including Earth’s shadowing effects

This paper investigates the long-term perturbations of the orbits of geosynchronous space debris influenced by direct radiation pressure including the Earth’s shadowing effects. For this purpose, we propose an extension of our homemade semi-analytical theory [Valk, S., Lemaître, A., Deleflie, F. Semi-analytical theory of mean orbital motion for geosynchronous space debris under gravitational influence. Adv. Space Res., submitted for publication], based on the method developed by Aksnes [Aksnes, K. Short-period and long-period perturbations of a spherical satellite due to direct solar radiation. Celest. Mech. Dyn. Astron. 13, 89–104, 1976] and generalized into a more convenient non-singular formalism. The perturbations accounting for the direct radiation pressure with the Earth’s shadow are computed on a revolution-by-revolution basis, retaining the original osculating Hamiltonian disturbing function. In this framework, we compute the non-singular mean longitude at shadow entry and shadow exit at every orbital revolution in opposition to classical approaches where the singular eccentric anomalies at shadow entry and shadow exit are computed. This new algorithm is developed using non-singular variables. Consequently, it is particularly suitable for both near-circular and near-equatorial orbits as well as orbits which transit periodically around null eccentricities and null inclinations.The algorithm is tested by means of numerical integrations of the equations, averaged over the short periods, including radiation pressure, J₂, the combined Moon and Sun third body attraction as well as the long-term effects of the 1:1 resonance occurring for geosynchronous objects. As an extension of [Valk, S., Lemaître, A., Anselmo, L. Analytical and semi-analytical investigations of geosynchronous space debris with high area-to-mass ratios influenced by solar radiation pressure. Adv. Space Res., doi:10.1016/j.asr.2007.10.025, 2007b], we especially apply our analysis to space debris with area-to-mass as high as 20 m²/kg. This paper provides numerical and semi-analytical investigations leading to a deep understanding of the long-term evolution of the semi-major axis. Finally, these semi-analytical investigations are compared with accurate numerical integrations of the osculating equations of motion over time scales as high as 25 years.     

Long-term changes in indices of geomagnetic activity at the auroral station Sodankylä

Here we compare the traditional analog measure of geomagnetic activity, Ak, with the more recent digital indices of IHV and Ah based on hourly mean data, and their derivatives at the auroral station Sodankylä. By this selection of indices we study the effects of (i) analog vs. digital technique, and (ii) full local-time vs. local night-time coverage on quantifying local geomagnetic activity. We find that all other indices are stronger than Ak during the low-activity cycles 15–16 suggesting an excess of very low scalings in Ak at this time. The full-day indices consistently depict stronger correlation with the interplanetary magnetic field strength, while the night-time indices have higher correlation with solar wind speed. The Ak index correlates better with the digital indices of full-day coverage than with any night-time index. However, Ak depicts somewhat higher activity levels than the digital full-day indices in the declining phase of the solar cycle, indicating that, due to their different sampling rates, the latter indices are less sensitive to high-frequency variations driven by the Alfvén waves in high-speed streams. On the other hand, the night-time indices have an even stronger response to solar wind speed than Ak. The results strongly indicate that at auroral latitudes, geomagnetic indices with different local time coverage reflect different current systems, which, by an appropriate choice of indices, allows studying the century-scale dynamics of these currents separately.     

Is there an instrumental drift in the counting rate of some high latitude neutron monitors?

For the last six decades the neutron monitors have provided a continuous string of very reliable data to the heliophysics community. Although neutron monitors are not the primary source of data for the galactic cosmic rays, these data serve as a baseline reference for the data collected by the detectors on board the satellites and deep space probes, far away from earth orbit. The pressure corrected hourly data are available from the World Data Centers. These data have been used to derive deep insights pertaining to the electromagnetic states of the heliosphere and the modes of transport of energetic charged particles in the tangled interplanetary magnetic fields. We present evidence that some of the high latitude neutron monitors are undergoing long-term drifts in their baselines. In particular, we argue that there is no physical basis to justify the observed long-term downward trend in the baseline of the South Pole neutron monitor. The real reason may have to do with its maintenance at a distant location with challenging logistics and an improper normalization of its data after the 26 months break in the 1970s.     

谐波阻抗调配器校准技术研究

作为负载牵引测量系统中的重要器件,谐波阻抗调配器的应用越来越广泛,但是目前国内有关该类仪器的校准工作尚无报道。本文以谐波阻抗调配器的工作原理为基础,设计了校准方法,并重点分析了矢量重复性的三种定义,提出了最佳校准方法。通过与出厂测试数据对比,验证了校准方法的可行性。     

Optimal Earth’s reentry disposal of the Galileo constellation

Nowadays there is international consensus that space activities must be managed to minimize debris generation and risk. The paper presents a method for the end-of-life (EoL) disposal of spacecraft in Medium Earth Orbit (MEO). The problem is formulated as a multiobjective optimisation one, which is solved with an evolutionary algorithm. An impulsive manoeuvre is optimised to reenter the spacecraft in Earth’s atmosphere within 100?years. Pareto optimal solutions are obtained using the manoeuvre $\mathrm{\Delta }v$ and the time-to-reentry as objective functions to be minimised. To explore at the best the search space a semi-analytical orbit propagator, which can propagate an orbit for 100?years in few seconds, is adopted. An in-depth analysis of the results is carried out to understand the conditions leading to a fast reentry with minimum propellant. For this aim a new way of representing the disposal solutions is introduced. With a single 2D plot we are able to fully describe the time evolution of all the relevant orbital parameters as well as identify the conditions that enables the eccentricity build-up. The EoL disposal of the Galileo constellation is used as test case.     

用于长期监测的高可靠供配电技术

针对液体运载火箭加注推进剂后长期贮存期间对箭上参数实时监测的需求,设计了一种能够长期稳定监测箭上参数的高可靠供配电系统,基于自主可控嵌入式实时操作系统和国产处理器开发了应用软件,提高了监测可靠性。考虑到长期加电期间可能出现单机故障,进行了冗余热备设计,并且能够在系统不断电的情况下更换故障设备,提高了系统可靠性。目前该设计已经过工程研制验证,得到成功应用。     

Time and spatial variations of the foF2(night)/foF2(day) values

The ratio of daytime and nighttime values of the foF2 critical frequency is analyzed on the basis of the data of 35 ionospheric stations of the eastern hemisphere and 7 stations of the western hemisphere. The analysis confirms the results of Danilov [Danilov, A.D. Variations in the ratio of nighttime and daytime critical frequencies of the F2 layer. Geomagn. Aeronomy, 47 (6), 551–561 (in Russian) 2007; Danilov, A.D. Time and spatial variations in the ratio of nighttime and daytime critical frequencies of the F2 layer, J. Atmos. Sol-Terr. Phys. 70, 1201–1212, 2008.] that after about 1980, a systematic behavior of this ratio with time is observed: an increase with time (a positive trend) or a decrease with time (a negative trend). The sign of this trend is shown to be governed by the signs of the magnetic declination D and magnetic inclination I at the given ionospheric station. This fact makes it possible to assume that the above indicated trend is caused by long-term variations in the zonal component V_ny of the horizontal wind in the thermosphere, the latter component contributing into the vertical drift velocity W.     

六自由度平台角位置测量精度方法

目前,六自由度平台角位置精度的测量大多采用激光跟踪仪等仪器进行,其测量成本高且测试原理及操作过程较为复杂。针对这一问题,提出了一种测量成本低、测试方法及操作较为简单的六自由度平台角位置精度测量方法,其主要包括六自由度平台的角位置测量精度以及角位置测量重复性。应用倾角仪对该平台横滚和俯仰两个方向的精度等进行了测量,使用光电自准直仪配合360多齿分度盘对该平台偏航方向的精度等进行了测量,测量结果表明：该测量方法能够准确快速测量出六自由度平台的角位置测量精度及角位置测量重复性,通过实验测出某Stewart六自由度平台横滚、俯仰及偏航方向的运动范围均为-10°~+10°,角位置测量精度分别达到0.012°、0.009°、0.018°,角位置测量重复性分别达到0.005°、0.007°、0.001°,能够很好地满足六自由度平台的技术指标。     

激光测速仪校准技术研究

综述了激光测速仪的现有校准方法,提出了采用模拟目标进行激光测速仪校准的新方法,并根据该原理研建了校准装置.经各种校准方法的比较分析和校准试验验证,说明装置校准范围宽、重复性好、通用性好,可以满足激光测速仪的校准需求.     

BOTDR光纤应变测试仪计量特性评价

介绍了BOTDR光纤应变测试仪的测试原理,并对仪器的重复性、稳定性和不确定度进行了测量评价,以测量结果验证该仪器技术说明书的计量特性值.