High energy-density propulsion—reducing the risk to humans in planetary exploration

The potential benefits to humankind of space exploration are tremendous. Space is not only the final frontier but is also the next marketplace. The orbital space above Earth offers tremendous opportunities for both strategic assets and commercial development. The critical obstacle retarding the use of the space around the Earth is the lack of low cost access to orbit. Further out, the next giant leap for mankind will be the human exploration of Mars. Almost certainly within the next 30 years, a human crew will brave the isolation, the radiation, and the lack of gravity to walk on and explore the Red planet. Both of these missions will change the outlook and perspective of every human being on the planet. However, these missions are expensive and extremely difficult. Chemical propulsion has demonstrated an inability to achieve orbit cheaply and is a very high-risk option to accomplish the Mars mission. An alternative solution is to develop a high performance propulsion system. Nuclear propulsion has the potential to be such a system. The question will be whether humanity is willing to take on the challenge.     

EUROPEAN NETWORK FOR THE NUMERICAL SIMULATION OF SPACE PLASMAS

The Cluster mission of the European Space Agency (ESA) will allow, for the first time three-dimensional measurements in key regions of the Earth's magnetosphere to be carried out. The European Numerical Simulation Network (ENSN) aims at providing a theoretical support to the mission. We describe the achievements of the ENSN during its first period of activity 1991–1994, during which the network was funded by the European Union. In particular, the ENSN has set up (i) thematic Working Groups on the prime scientific goals of the mission, (ii) a code development Working Group to develop numerical simulation codes specifically adapted to studying magnetospheric boundaries and the corresponding scale mixing, and (iii) software models of Cluster instruments to test in a numerical simulation what the set of four instruments will measure.     

Scientific Planning and Commanding of the Rosetta Payload

ESA’s Rosetta mission was launched in March 2004 and is on its way to comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, where it is scheduled to arrive in summer 2014. It comprises a payload of 12 scientific instruments and a Lander. All instruments are provided by Principal Investigators, which are responsible for their operations. As for most ESA science missions, the ground segment of the mission consists of a Mission Operations Centre (MOC) and a Science Operations Centre (SOC). While the MOC is responsible for all spacecraft-related aspects and the final uplink of all command timelines to the spacecraft, the scientific operations of the instruments and the collection of the data and ingestion into the Planetary Science Archive are coordinated by the SOC. This paper focuses on the tasks of the SOC and in particular on the methodology and constraints to convert the scientific goals of the Rosetta mission to operational timelines.     

关于CCSDS音频、视频及静态图像通信业务建议的初步研究

音频、视频及静态图像通信 (简称 A/ V/ SI)是空间任务 (包括无人的及载人的航天任务 )中的重要业务。对 CCSDS关于 A/ V/ SI通信业务建议进行了分析研究 ,指出 CCSDS建议的音频、视频及静态图像的质量标准、编码方法和编码参数等与 ITU - T的有关建议是相互兼容的 ,对CCSDS的 A/ V/ SI通信建议在空间任务中的应用提出了初步看法     

GPS/INS组合系统空中对准方法研究

针对单天线的GPS与捷联惯性导航组合系统,提出了一种空中对准方案,不同于传统的传递对准方法,仅依靠GPS测量信息进行速度匹配,完成空中初始对准。该方案采用扩展卡尔曼滤波方法解决对准过程中的非线性问题。仿真结果表明该方案的对准精度(1σ)可以达到水平姿态误差0.07,°方位误差0.3°。     

主从式卫星编队相对轨道的自主确定

为实现主从式卫星编队飞行中心星与环绕星的自主定轨，采用微波雷达测量卫星间相对距离、距离速率、方位角和仰角。根据动力学方程给出了导航算法，并利用扩展卡尔曼滤波（EKF）提高微波雷达相对速度的测量精度。仿真结果表明，该导航算法对主从式卫星编队较有效，且能获得较佳的导航精度。     

基于磁强计测量的一种姿态估计方法研究

运行在低轨道上的三轴对地稳定小卫星在安全保持模式下的姿态确定要求测量部件的可靠性高,功耗低。本文选用三轴磁强计作为测量部件,给出在安全保持模式下的增广型Kalman滤波器(EKF)的设计。仿真结果表明在安全保持模式下,对卫星姿态能够进行很好的估计或校正。     

推广联合滤波算法在卫星组合定姿系统中的应用

研究了不同模型下的推广联合滤波算法。基于信息融合理论和信息守恒原理，提出信息分配是信息融合的逆过程的观点，给出和证明了信息分配定理，为推广联合滤波算法提供了理论基础。以某卫星组合姿态确定系统为例，详细讨论了推广联合滤波的结构及其实现过程。理论分析和数学仿真结果表明：推广联合滤波算法比现有的联合滤波算法计算量小，且推广联合滤波算法能够同时保证全局最优和局部最优，而现有的联合滤波算法不是局部最优。     

直接力与气动力复合控制系统姿态稳定问题研究

大气层内直接力与气动力复合控制导弹具有响应快速、可用过载大等优点，可以拦截高速、高机动性目标。研究制导末端轨控直接力与气动力复合系统姿态稳定问题。首先分析了复合系统的特点和控制问题，建立了控制模型。然后应用扩张状态观测器观测对象模型内扰和外扰的实时作用量，进行反馈补偿，实现了动态线性化。最后设计了非平滑反馈控制律，从而实现了复合系统的姿态控制设计。仿真结果表明，系统具有良好的动态性能和稳态性能，控制器具有很强的鲁棒性。     

实时精确定轨的自校准方法

实时精确定轨的迫切性越来越成为航天技术任务发展所关注的问题。本文将轨道约束“EMBET”自校准技术^[1,2]推广到实时轨道确定处理；在不断地获取对航天器轨道测量数据的过程中，递推地估算和修正观测数据的系统误差，又实时地为用户提供精确的轨道状态参数或轨道根数。