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.     

Far-UVC light as a new tool to reduce microbial burden during spacecraft assembly

This work aims to investigate far-UVC light at 222 nm as a new microbial reduction tool for planetary protection purposes which could potentially be integrated into the spacecraft assembly process. The major advantage of far-UVC (222 nm) compared to traditional germicidal UVC (254 nm) is the potential for application throughout the spacecraft assembly process in the presence of humans without adverse health effects due to the limited penetration of far-UVC light into biological materials. Testing the efficacy of 222-nm light at inactivating hardy bacterial cells and spores isolated from spacecraft and associated surfaces is a necessary step to evaluate this technology. We assessed survival of Bacillus pumilus SAFR-032 and Acinetobacter radioresistens 50v1 exposed to 222-nm light on proxy spacecraft surfaces simulated by drying the bacteria on aluminum coupons. The survival fraction of both bacteria followed a single stage decay function up to 60 mJ/cm², revealing similar susceptibility of both species to 222-nm light, which was independent of the exposure rate. Irradiation with far-UVC light at 222 nm is an effective method to decontaminate the proxy spacecraft materials tested in this study.     

Study of highly perturbed spacecraft formation dynamics via approximation

This paper explores methods for approximating and analyzing the dynamics of highly perturbed spacecraft formations with an emphasis on computationally efficient approaches. This facilitates on-board computation or rapid preliminary mission design analysis. Perturbed formation dynamics are often approximated as linear time-varying (LTV) systems, for which Floquet theory can be used to analyze the degree of system instability. Furthermore, the angular momentum of the relative orbital state can be computed with the approximate dynamics to provide additional insight. A general methodology is developed first and then applied to the problem of unstable formation dynamics in asteroid orbits. Here the dominant perturbative effects due to low-order gravitational harmonics and solar radiation pressure are modeled. Numerical simulations validate the approach and illustrate the approximation accuracy achieved.     

一种电离层TEC格点预测模型

基于分析时间序列数据的门限控制单元（GRU）神经网络模型，利用电离层TEC网格点历史数据、太阳活动指数、地磁活动指数作为预测因子，提出一种高精度电离层TEC格点预测模型.对全球60个网格点的数据进行了模型预测和对比实验，得到北半球平均相对精度的均值为83.96%，高于南半球的73.60%，表明预测模型在北半球的适应性更好，且中低纬地区的适应性优于高纬地区；预测模型在磁扰动期的平均相对精度的均值比磁平静期平均相对精度的均值高，约1.95%；与基于递归神经网络（RNN）、长短时记忆网络（LSTM）和双向长短时记忆网络（Bi-LSTM）的电离层TEC单站预测模型相比，本文预测模型的均方根误差（RMSE）平均为原来的80.8%.      

Space–Time Structure of Energetic Electron Precipitations according to the Data of Balloon Observations and Polar Satellite Measurements on February 1–6, 2015

Cosmic Research - The results of an analysis of the space–time characteristics and dynamics of precipitations of magnetospheric electrons with energies in the range from 0.1 to 0.7 MeV are...     

具有复杂围护结构光学窗口的传热特性分析

针对具有复杂围护结构光学窗口传热特性,建立了高热流作用下的光学窗口及其复杂围护结构的辐射-导热传热模型,分别讨论了窗口的辐射半透明、光谱选择性、外部加热热流以及窗口尺寸对其瞬态温度响应的影响。结果表明,忽略窗口半透明特征会产生最大31.4%误差,忽略光谱选择性会产生最大40.4%误差;窗口外部气动加热热流影响显著,温度响应随热流的增大而急剧增大;窗口厚度对其传热特性的影响较大,随着厚度的增大窗口温度响应减小;而窗口半径产生的影响可忽略不计。     

Estimating the spin axis orientation of the Echostar-2 box-wing geosynchronous satellite

For the first time, the spin axis orientation of an inactive box-wing geosynchronous satellite has been estimated from ground-based optical photometric observations of Echostar-2’s specular reflections. Recent photometric light curves obtained of Echostar-2 over four years suggest that unusually bright and brief specular reflections were occurring twice within an observed spin period. These bright and brief specular reflections suggested two satellite surfaces with surface normals separated by approximately 180°. The geometry between the satellite, the Sun, and the observing location at the time of each of the brightest observed reflections, was used to estimate Echostar-2’s equatorial spin axis orientation coordinates. When considering prograde and retrograde rotation, Echostar-2’s spin axis orientation was estimated to have been located within 30° of either equatorial coordinate pole. Echostar-2’s spin axis was observed to have moved approximately 180° in right ascension, within a time span of six months, suggesting a roughly one year spin axis precession period about the satellite’s angular momentum vector.     

星载激光通信终端在轨机动对温度影响

对激光通信终端在轨瞬态温度变化开展了仿真，以期研究在轨机动的影响、热分析和热试验时机动模式的简化模拟。通过合理地分析与简化，建立终端的轨道热分析模型，准确模拟在轨机动，根据典型机动模式、外热流和涂层退化等因素设计了计算工况，得出了终端在轨运行过程中的温度场随时间和姿态变化规律。结果表明：不同机动模式下的温度变化存在差异，最大可达23.0℃，采用固定姿态或一维转动的简化热分析或热试验不能准确模拟实际飞行温度，甚至不能部分替代二维转动热分析或热试验；光学天线和反射镜的温度控制是制约终端工作的瓶颈，为终端设计合适的避光机动策略，可大幅度提高温度稳定度和均匀度。研究结果可以为光机电设备在轨机动策略的设计和改进提供参考。     

Effect of matching between the magnetic field and channel length on the performance of low sputtering Hall thrusters

Discharge characteristics of a non-wall-loss Hall thruster were studied under different channel lengths using a design based on pushing a magnetic field through a double permanent magnet ring. The effect of different magnetic field intensities and channel lengths on ionization, efficiency, and plume divergence angle were studied. The experimental results show that propellant utilization is improved for optimal matching between the magnetic field and channel length. While matching the magnetic field and channel length, the ionization position of the neutral gas changes. The ion flow is effectively controlled, allowing the thrust force, specific impulse, and efficiency to be improved. Our study shows that the channel length is an important design parameter to consider for improving the performance of non-wall-loss Hall thrusters.