Near-optimal geostationary transfer maneuvers with cooperative en-route inspection using hybrid optimal control

This research investigates the performance of bi-level hybrid optimal control algorithms in the solution of minimum delta-velocity geostationary transfer maneuvers with cooperative en-route inspection. The maneuvers, introduced here for the first time, are designed to populate a geostationary constellation of space situational awareness satellites while providing additional characterization of objects in lower-altitude orbit regimes. The maneuvering satellite, called the chaser, performs a transfer from low Earth orbit to geostationary orbit, during which it performs an inspection of one of several orbiting targets in conjunction with a ground site for the duration of the target?s line-of-site contact with that site. A three-target scenario is used to test the performance of multiple bi-level hybrid optimal control algorithms. A bi-level hybrid algorithm is then utilized to solve fifteen-, and thirty-target scenarios and shown to have increasing benefit to complete enumeration as the number of targets is increased. Results indicate that the en-route inspection can be accomplished for a small increase in the delta-velocity required for a simple transfer to geostationary orbit given the same initial conditions.     

Tether assisted near earth object diversion

Potential earth impact threats posed by asteroids have motivated researchers to find effective NEO diversion techniques. Several means to perturb the motion of an asteroid have been discussed in the literature. Attaching a long tether and ballast mass to the asteroid can effectively alter its trajectory. In this paper it is shown that by cutting the tether at an appropriate time the diversion can be enhanced. The instant of cutting the tether significantly affects the final orbit of the asteroid and thus the resulting deflection from the original path.     

Longitude-dependent effects of fragmentation events in the geosynchronous orbit regime

The effects of on-orbit fragmentation events on localized debris congestion in each of the longitude slots of the geosynchronous orbit (GEO) regime are evaluated by simulating explosions and collisions of uncontrolled rocket bodies in multiple orbit configurations, including libration about one or both of the gravitational wells located at 75°E and 105°W. Fragmentation distributions are generated with the NASA Standard Breakup Model, which samples fragment area-to-mass ratio and delta-velocity as a function of effective diameter. Simulation results indicate that the long-term severity and consequence of a GEO fragmentation event is strongly dependent upon parent body longitude at the epoch of fragmentation, which can spawn bi-annual “fragment storms” in high-risk longitude slots, driven by lower-energy fragments that have been captured and have started librating around the nearby gravitational well.     

飞行器再入段最优自适应积分滑模姿态控制

针对飞行器再入段的姿态跟踪控制问题,提出了一种最优自适应积分滑模控制(Optimal Adaptive Integral Sliding Mode Control, OAISMC)方法。首先针对飞行器的标称模型设计了基于状态相依黎卡提方程(State Dependent Riccati Equation, SDRE)的姿态控制器,使标称系统的性能满足提出的最优指标。然后,考虑系统的不确定性和外部干扰,在SDRE标称控制器的基础上设计积分滑模姿态控制方法,使系统在满足性能指标要求的同时,对不确定性和干扰具有鲁棒性。进一步采用自适应方法调整切换增益,避免了对复合干扰上界的先验要求,并引入滑模干扰观测器提高系统的性能。最后,仿真结果表明,在考虑外部干扰以及气动系数和大气密度摄动的情况下,本文设计的控制方法不仅能够实现姿态跟踪、满足设计的性能指标,而且具有较好的鲁棒性。     

State propagation in an uncertain asteroid gravity field

Various spacecraft have been and will be sent to asteroids to characterize them. Generally, an asteroid's gravity field is very irregular and not accurately known when compared to the gravity field of a major planet, Earth in particular. It has been well studied that the irregularity significantly affects the trajectory of an orbiting spacecraft, and causes it to impact or to escape from the asteroid. Complementary to that, this paper focuses on the influence of the limited knowledge of this gravity field on the evolution of the spacecraft's orbit. It develops a general method by which this influence can be quantified. This method comprises specific Monte Carlo simulations with a discrete set of low-altitude orbits, taking into account the uncertainties in the gravity-field parameters. For illustration purposes, it is applied to two different asteroids. Already after three revolutions, the gravity-field uncertainties propagate to significant position uncertainties; this specifically holds for prograde orbits, and around the smaller asteroid. Applying this robust and accurate method helps mission designers and planners to assess the risk posed by gravity uncertainties, and take appropriate measures such as choosing the most favorable orbital geometries and/or lowering the orbit more slowly.     

高分辨率卫星遥感图像的偏流角及其补偿研究

卫星遥感采用高分辨率TDICCD相机时，由于地球的旋转产生图像运动的偏流角，偏流角对这种遥感图像的质量影响较大，需要进行补偿，并通过遥感视线的校正实现。补偿的首要工作是确定图像运动的偏流角和遥感视线的修正量。基于航天器飞行动力学原理，本文求出了各种近地轨道的偏流角、偏流角角速度，把遥感视线的校正分成粗校正和精校正，并给出了修正量的确定方法。针对椭圆轨道和圆轨道情况的偏流角及修正量的计算，验证了本文算法的有效性。     

变轨发动机工作态主动式自旋稳定姿态控制

首先通过对航天器变轨控制的分析,提出了“通过消章消偏综合控制实现自旋稳定姿态控制”的主动式自旋稳定姿态控制方法;随后,分别研究了变轨发动机工作态的消章控制和消偏控制的特点和相应方法;最后,设计并实现了“带消偏约束的消章控制法”。应用该方法对某细长型航天器的变轨发动机工作态进行控制,仿真结果表明,姿态控制的精度较高。     

基于改进伪谱反馈控制的远程变轨闭环制导

利用最优反馈控制和轨迹快速重构技术,设计一种有限推力空间远程变轨自适应闭环制导方法。首先给出了最优反馈控制的求解原理和必要条件。将空间变轨动力学模型特点和伪谱法相结合,设计基于状态量缩减的计算效率改进策略以提高轨迹优化的实时性。基于改进伪谱法进行逐次轨迹快速重构,利用开环最优解形成闭环反馈,从而保证制导指令的实时更新,并通过引入控制逻辑改进制导算法。远程交会仿真表明,该闭环制导方法在保证任务指标具有一定最优性的同时,可以有效抑制多种参数不确定性和外界干扰的影响,具有较高的制导精度、自适应性和鲁棒性。     

编队重构的双脉冲燃料最优控制

基于Hill方程导出了四种典型编队重构的双脉冲控制算法，并揭示了编队重构时具有如下性质：椭圆编队膨胀或收缩时，在燃料最优脉冲作用下伴随卫星期望的相对位置矢量与同一时刻不施加冲量时的相对位置矢量方向相同；不同膨胀系数时施加脉冲的时刻不变，最优的燃料消耗与膨胀变化量成正比；钟摆式编队膨胀时转移轨迹在参考轨道平面内是轴对称的。最后用仿真验证了算法的有效性。     

带有控制增益自校正的甚低轨道卫星自主轨道维持方法

为实现甚低轨道的长期稳定运行,分析了甚低轨道的摄动特性,设计了一种带有轨控增益校正的自主轨道维持方法。该方法可通过前一次轨控的结果对轨控增益进行校正,提高轨控算法对卫星质量、推力大小等不确定因素的鲁棒性,逐渐提高轨道控制的精度。对轨道控制的频率、每次轨控的时间长度及对偏心率的影响进行了分析,仿真结果表明:自主轨道维持方法能实现甚低轨道高度维持控制,在参数不确定的情况下,与传统算法相比可大幅提高轨道控制的精度,确保平均偏心率矢量收敛,满足甚低轨道卫星的长寿命要求。所设计的算法结构简单,运算量小,可由目前的星载计算机实现。     

低轨卫星倾斜轨道设计及优化

根据有效载荷性能和任务需求对低轨卫星的倾斜回归圆轨道设计进行了研究,以升交点赤经为参数,对1个回归周期内特定目标的覆盖性能指标进行了优化。算例表明:卫星对地面目标点的覆盖率可达0.977 5。如需对多个目标点或目标区域进行观测,可在此基础上增加目标点再作优化设计,以获得最佳覆盖性能。     

Characterizing the near-earth object hazard and its mitigation

Within observational constraints and analytic orbit determinations, potential NEO hazards and mitigations are characterized in terms of orbit displacements to establish (arbitrary) “safe” closest approach distances and corresponding energies that must be externally applied to achieve appropriate orbit displacements from the Earth. Required orbital velocity changes depend on projected closest Earth approach distances and time to (near) impact. Energy to achieve orbital displacement depends on NEO mass, required orbital velocity change, and the energy–momentum coupling coefficient. Errors in these parameters introduce uncertainties into hazard index and mitigation procedures. Hazard avoidance levels and mitigation indices for nine near-Earth asteroids, including 1997 XF₁₁ and 1999 AN₁₀, with non-zero Earth-impact probabilities are computed as examples of the proposed methodology, generating insight into the dilemma of predicting near impacts. This zeroth order approximation should not be construed as solving an orbital mechanics problem, nor establishing a particular set of criteria for mitigation action, but rather as a “survival index”.     

Optimal flights to near-Earth asteroid

The spacecraft flights to the Near-Earth asteroid in order to give an impact influence on the asteroid, correct its orbit and prevent the asteroid’s collision with the Earth are analyzed.In the first part, the impulse flights are analyzed in the Lambert approach. There are determined the optimal trajectories maximizing the asteroid deviation from the Earth.In the second part, the flights with the chemical and electric-jet engines are analyzed. The high thrust is used to launch the spacecraft from the geocentric orbit, and the low thrust is applied for the heliocentric motion. On the base of optimal impulse transfer, the optimal low thrust trajectories are determined using Pontryagin maximum principle.The numerical results are given for the flight to the asteroid Toutatis. Parameters of the spacecraft impact on the asteroid are determined. The asteroid deviation from the Earth caused by the spacecraft influence is presented.     

NPF算法在X射线脉冲星导航中的应用研究

针对X射线脉冲星导航中航天器模型的强非线性、高阶模型不确定性等问题,提出应用非线性预测滤波(NPF)算法实时估计航天器的轨道信息。首先,建立具有模型不确定性的X射线脉冲星导航定轨指标函数,优化得到满足指标函数最小的系统模型误差值,通过降低模型不确定性的影响来提高航天器自主定轨精度。对STK生成的“火星探路者”和“金星快车”及“北斗一号”三种航天器轨道数据进行分析,仿真结果表明,该算法比EKF算法具有更高的定轨精度,能够满足深空以及近地轨道航天器的自主定轨精度指标要求。     

Nonlinear effects in the correlation of tracks and covariance propagation

Even though there are methods for the nonlinear propagation of the covariance the propagation of the covariance in current operational programs is based on the state transition matrix of the 1st variational equations, thus it is a linear propagation. If the measurement errors are zero mean Gaussian, the orbit errors, statistically represented by the covariance, are Gaussian. When the orbit errors become too large they are no longer Gaussian and not represented by the covariance. One use of the covariance is the association of uncorrelated tracks (UCTs). A UCT is an object tracked by a space surveillance system that does not correlate to another object in the space object data base. For an object to be entered into the data base three or more tracks must be correlated. Associating UCTs is a major challenge for a space surveillance system since every object entered into the space object catalog begins as a UCT. It has been proved that if the orbit errors are Gaussian, the error ellipsoid represented by the covariance is the optimum association volume. When the time between tracks becomes large, hours or even days, the orbit errors can become large and are no longer Gaussian, and this has a negative effect on the association of UCTs. This paper further investigates the nonlinear effects on the accuracy of the covariance for use in correlation. The use of the best coordinate system and the unscented Kalman Filter (UKF) for providing a more accurate covariance are investigated along with assessing how these approaches would result in the ability to correlate tracks that are further separated in time.     

同步卫星E/W轨道控制盒划分策略

对于当代同步轨道通信卫星来说,星载设备寿命一般都高于星载燃料使用寿命,因此卫星设计寿命都是以星载燃料消耗殆尽为依据的。卫星轨道保持不仅是卫星测控任务的重要工作之一,同时也是星载燃料消耗的主要途径。文中从卫星平经度漂移量、测站定轨精度、星载推进器推力误差、卫星南北机动对东西方向耦合等多方面探讨同步轨道通信卫星E/W轨道保持策略,介绍一种细化轨道控制区间、估算偏心率控制圆半径范围的方法。     

航天器近距离视觉制导自主机动轨道优化

研究具有视觉导引路径约束的航天器近距离机动轨道优化数值计算问题。首先,给出了带路径约束的椭圆参考轨道航天器近距离轨道机动最优化问题数学模型。利用高斯伪谱法将上述最优化问题转化为非线性规划问题,优化参数为配点上的状态量和控制量。然后,利用MATLAB的SNOPT软件包对非线性规划问题进行求解。最后通过数值仿真验证了方法的有效性和鲁棒性。     

Manifold dynamics in the Earth–Moon system via isomorphic mapping with application to spacecraft end-of-life strategies

Recently, manifold dynamics has assumed an increasing relevance for analysis and design of low-energy missions, both in the Earth–Moon system and in alternative multibody environments. With regard to lunar missions, exterior and interior transfers, based on the transit through the regions where the collinear libration points L₁ and L₂ are located, have been studied for a long time and some space missions have already taken advantage of the results of these studies. This paper is focused on the definition and use of a special isomorphic mapping for low-energy mission analysis. A convenient set of cylindrical coordinates is employed to describe the spacecraft dynamics (i.e. position and velocity), in the context of the circular restricted three-body problem, used to model the spacecraft motion in the Earth–Moon system. This isomorphic mapping of trajectories allows the identification and intuitive representation of periodic orbits and of the related invariant manifolds, which correspond to tubes that emanate from the curve associated with the periodic orbit. Heteroclinic connections, i.e. the trajectories that belong to both the stable and the unstable manifolds of two distinct periodic orbits, can be easily detected by means of this representation. This paper illustrates the use of isomorphic mapping for finding (a) periodic orbits, (b) heteroclinic connections between trajectories emanating from two Lyapunov orbits, the first at L₁, and the second at L₂, and (c) heteroclinic connections between trajectories emanating from the Lyapunov orbit at L₁ and from a particular unstable lunar orbit. Heteroclinic trajectories are asymptotic trajectories that travels at zero-propellant cost. In practical situations, a modest delta-v budget is required to perform transfers along the manifolds. This circumstance implies the possibility of performing complex missions, by combining different types of trajectory arcs belonging to the manifolds. This work studies also the possible application of manifold dynamics to defining suitable, convenient end-of-life strategies for spacecraft orbiting the Earth. Seven distinct options are identified, and lead to placing the spacecraft into the final disposal orbit, which is either (a) a lunar capture orbit, (b) a lunar impact trajectory, (c) a stable lunar periodic orbit, or (d) an outer orbit, never approaching the Earth or the Moon. Two remarkable properties that relate the velocity variations with the spacecraft energy are employed for the purpose of identifying the optimal locations, magnitudes, and directions of the velocity impulses needed to perform the seven transfer trajectories. The overall performance of each end-of-life strategy is evaluated in terms of time of flight and propellant budget.     

基于有限时间H2性能指标的导弹机动突防策略设计

针对导弹机动突防策略设计中存在的对主要性能指标缺乏综合评价手段的问题,基于有限时间H2性能指标,给出系统性能分析与设计的准则,综合考虑脱靶量和机动消耗的能量,设计了脱靶量/能量最优的机动形式。考虑拦截器制导律信息存在不确定性,提出了有限时间鲁棒H2性能分析方法与有限时间鲁棒H2保性能控制准则,设计了在拦截器制导律信息存在不确定性时的保性能机动。结果表明,突防导弹在拦截末段的大幅度机动最为有效,能够以较小的能量代价换取较大的拦截脱靶量。
     

On-orbit servicing system assessment and optimization methods based on lifecycle simulation under mixed aleatory and epistemic uncertainties

To assess the on-orbit servicing (OOS) paradigm and optimize its utilities by taking advantage of its inherent flexibility and responsiveness, the OOS system assessment and optimization methods based on lifecycle simulation under uncertainties are studied. The uncertainty sources considered in this paper include both the aleatory (random launch/OOS operation failure and on-orbit component failure) and the epistemic (the unknown trend of the end-used market price) types. Firstly, the lifecycle simulation under uncertainties is discussed. The chronological flowchart is presented. The cost and benefit models are established, and the uncertainties thereof are modeled. The dynamic programming method to make optimal decision in face of the uncertain events is introduced. Secondly, the method to analyze the propagation effects of the uncertainties on the OOS utilities is studied. With combined probability and evidence theory, a Monte Carlo lifecycle Simulation based Unified Uncertainty Analysis (MCS-UUA) approach is proposed, based on which the OOS utility assessment tool under mixed uncertainties is developed. Thirdly, to further optimize the OOS system under mixed uncertainties, the reliability-based optimization (RBO) method is studied. To alleviate the computational burden of the traditional RBO method which involves nested optimum search and uncertainty analysis, the framework of Sequential Optimization and Mixed Uncertainty Analysis (SOMUA) is employed to integrate MCS-UUA, and the RBO algorithm SOMUA-MCS is developed. Fourthly, a case study on the OOS system for a hypothetical GEO commercial communication satellite is investigated with the proposed assessment tool. Furthermore, the OOS system is optimized with SOMUA-MCS. Lastly, some conclusions are given and future research prospects are highlighted.