Initial performance assessment of hybrid inflatable structures

Inflatable technology for space applications is under continual development and advances in high strength fibers and rigidizable materials have pushed the limitations of these structures. This has lead to their application in deploying large-aperture antennas, reflectors and solar sails. However, many significant advantages can be achieved by combining inflatable structures with structural stiffeners such as tape springs. These advantages include control of the deployment path of the structure while it is inflating (a past weakness of inflatable structure designs), an increased stiffness of the structure once deployed and a reduction in the required inflation volume. Such structures have been previously constructed at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory focusing on large scale booms. However, due to the high efficiency of these designs they are also appealing to small satellite systems.This article outlines ongoing research work performed at the University of Southampton into the field of small satellite hybrid inflatable structures. Inflatable booms have been constructed and combined with tape spring reinforcements to create simple hybrid structures. These structures have been subjected to bending tests and compared directly to an equivalent inflatable tube without tape spring reinforcement. This enables the stiffness benefits to be determined with respect to the added mass of the tape springs. The paper presents these results, which leads to an initial performance assessment of these structures.     

甚小型卫星发展综述

介绍了立方星(CubeSat)、片上卫星(SpaceChip)、印制电路板卫星(PCBSat)、多芯片组件卫星(MCMSat)4种甚小型卫星的发展情况和技术特点。CubeSat技术最为成熟,已发射多颗此类卫星,但体积固定,成本较高;SpaceChip是卫星小型化的最终目标,它成本最低,集成度最高,体积最小,但通信距离较短;PCBSat的成本和性能居中,设计复杂度低,且元器件有商用现货供应,但功耗较大;MCMSat综合了PCBSat和SpaceChip的技术特点,技术复杂。我国甚小型卫星可选择优先发展PCBSat;重点突破商用现货元器件的筛选,以及空间应用技术、一体化姿态控制技术、新型微推进技术、轻型高效的蓄电池和太阳电池技术等。     

一种新型充气式重力梯度杆的研制和在轨展开试验

文章对中国“新技术验证一号”卫星搭载的一种新型充气式重力梯度杆的研制和在轨试验情况进行了介绍。重力梯度杆在小卫星控制领域中具有较好的应用前景,而充气结构具有轻质、占用空间小、发射成本低的特点,采用充气式重力梯度杆可避免传统机械式重力梯度杆质量重、尺寸大和机构复杂的缺点,它以充气伸展臂为主要结构形式,通过充气展开伸直成为重力梯度杆,既作为卫星重力梯度杆又通过在轨试验验证空间充气展开结构的性能。在轨试验结果表明充气式重力梯度杆展开稳定、有序、性能可靠,可以满足小卫星的性能和功能要求。该试验也是中国首个成功的充气展开结构在轨技术验证试验,标志着中国的充气展开结构技术初步具备了工程化能力。     

国外空间大型网状天线在轨展开故障与对策

空间大型网状天线在轨可靠展开是确保航天任务取得成功的关键。对国外自1974—2011年间发射的部分科学、商业和军用航天器携带的大型网状天线在轨展开故障情况进行了统计,介绍了各天线展开故障的机理,并对天线展开故障应急处理方法和设计改进措施进行了总结。根据空间大型天线展开的特点,提出了加强天线抗冲击能力、充分开展天线机构实验验证和展开故障应急处理预案研究等建议。     

用于遥感卫星数传的新型波导阵列组合天线

从新的设计理念出发，提出一种新型的波导十字阵列组合辐射天线替代了赋形反射面天线，用于低轨遥感卫星的数传系统。文中论述了该天线的设计思路、设计过程，并列出了天线的主要性能。最后还简述了该天线在国内卫星上的应用及我国未来低轨遥感卫星数传天线的发展趋势。该天线已在我国多个卫星上成功应用。这种波导阵列组合天线结构紧凑、尺寸小，具有与国外通用的赋形反射面天线基本类似的性能，可达到星载数传天线的预定要求，而且为星载遥感器及其他载荷留出了更大的对地安装空间。     

翱翔系列立方星的发展和展望

针对西北工业大学“翱翔”系列立方星在低成本、短周期、快响应的立方星技术方面的突破，介绍了应用于大气层外偏振导航技术试验的世界首颗12U立方星“翱翔之星”，世界首次组网开展低热层大气参数测量的QB50计划“翱翔一号”立方星等，总结了“翱翔”系列立方星的标准化结构设计、姿态控制系统、电源系统、星载计算机、通信与测控、部署器等核心系统的发展现状，介绍了自主研制的飞轮、磁力矩器、偏振敏感器载荷。并基于在轨组装，编队飞行，一箭多星等技术对“翱翔”系列立方星的应用进行了展望，对探索柔性、高精度、长寿命的立方星将有重要的意义。     

Inflatable composite habitat structures for lunar and mars exploration

Recent advances in materials technology have improved the performance capabilities of inflatable, flexible composite structures, which have increased their potential for use in numerous space applications. Space suits, which are comprised of flexible composite components, are a good example of the successful use of inflatable composite structures in space. Space suits employ inflatables technology to provide a stand alone spacecraft for astronauts during extra-vehicular activity. A natural extension of this application of inflatables technology is in orbital or planetary habitat structures. NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC) is currently investigating flexible composite structures deployed via inflation for use as habitats, transfer vehicles and depots for continued exploration of the Moon and Mars.

Inflatable composite structures are being investigated because they offer significant benefits over conventional structures for aerospace applications. Inflatable structures are flexible and can be packaged in smaller and more complex shaped volumes, which result in the selection of smaller launch vehicles which dramatically reduce launch costs. Inflatable composite structures are typically manufactured from materials that have higher strength to weight ratios than conventional systems and are therefore lower in mass. Mass reductions are further realized because of the tailorability of inflatable composite structures, which allow the strength of the system to be concentrated where needed. Flexible composite structures also tend to be more damage tolerant due to their “forgiveness” as compared to rigid mechanical systems. In addition, inflatables have consistently proven to be lower in both development and manufacturing costs.

Several inflatable habitat development programs are discussed with their increasing maturation toward use on a flight mission. Selected development programs being discussed include several NASA Langley Research Center habitat programs that were conducted in the 1960s, the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory inflatable space station study, the NASA JSC deployable inflatable Lunar habitat study, and the inflatable Mars TransHab study and test program currently ongoing at NASA JSC. Relevant technology developments made by ILC Dover are also presented.     

应用于立方星的剪叉式可展开太阳电池阵机构

立方星在轨任务期间的能源供给主要依靠蓄电池或体装太阳能电池阵。随着微小航天器技术的发展,立方星功能密度越来越大,星上载荷对功率的需求越来越高,传统的电池板供能方式已很难满足未来空间任务需求。另外,立方星因其特有的尺寸规范和标准,对电池阵的收纳尺寸和展开机构也有特殊应用需求。基于上述背景和立方星的结构特点,设计了一种展开原理简单、扩展性好、折展比大的一维剪叉式空间可展开机构,进行了原理样机的加工制造和地面展开试验,验证了机构设计的功能可行性以及设计参数的合理性。机构展开后阵列发电功率是传统供能方式的3~5倍,且特殊的几何外形可提供被动重力梯度稳定优势,在提升未来立方星载荷能力方面有重要应用价值。     

A parametric study of space transfer/upper propulsion stages

For Space Transportation System (i.e. Space Shuttle) launched satellites destined for a Geosynchronous Earth Orbit (GEO), there is a need for cost-effective, versatile propulsion systems to provide the perigee burn, i.e. to boost the satellite from Low Earth Orbit (LEO) to Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO). Surveys of commercial spacecraft activities and future GEO satellite requirements indicate that a spacecraft propulsion system that will provide the perigee burn for a broad range of future commercial satellites would have an excellent market potential.Parametric studies to investigate and define attractive perigee-burn upper propulsion systems (i.e. an Upper Propulsion Stage, or a UPS) are presented. The feasibility and payload capacilities that could be provided by a UPS assembled from essentially off-the-shelf components and subsystems, and the benefits that could be achieved by using major subsystems specifically tailored for the application are presented. The results indicate that attractive UPS configurations can be defined using either off-the-shelf or optimized major subsystems.     

缓冲气囊展开与缓冲着陆过程的仿真分析

文章基于显式有限元模型,采用控制体积法对缓冲气囊的展开及缓冲过程进行仿真分析。首先对单个球形气囊进行折叠展开过程模拟,之后依据NASA"猎户座"缓冲着陆器的缩比模型,建立了一个用以评估气囊着陆衰减系统的LS-DYNA有限元模型。分别研究了缓冲着陆器正碰和侧碰对缓冲气囊压力、着陆器的加速度和运动的影响。并与文献进行对比验证,计算结果表明数值模拟的正确性。     

用于航天信息传输的阵列天线系统

评述阵列天线在航天数据系统中应用的现状与前景 ,特别是在移动卫星通信系统与小卫星系统中的应用 ,指出集成化与低成本设计的重要性 ,讨论利用共形阵列天线通过跟踪与数据中继卫星系统传输火箭数据的可行性。     

用于立方体卫星的高增益天线技术与发展趋势

随着MarCO与RainCube的成功在轨验证,立方体卫星已经在深空探测与遥感领域展现出独特的优势。立方体卫星搭载的天线不仅需要提供良好的辐射特性,还必须满足立方体卫星苛刻的体积和重量限制,这种限制条件在设计大口径高增益天线时尤为重要。首先简要介绍了立方体卫星的起源、发展及其应用前景,其次重点介绍了立方体卫星高增益天线的技术特点、研究现状及其在轨验证情况,最后归纳总结了立方体卫星高增益天线技术的未来发展趋势,为我国后续开展立方体卫星研究与应用提供参考。     

Ultralight deployable booms for solar sails and other large gossamer structures in space

Future solar sail spacecraft which do not need any rocket motors and propellants are a promising option for long-term exploration missions in the solar system. However, they will require ultralight reflective foils and deployable booms which will allow for the unfolding of huge sails. The achievement of an acceptable ratio of reflective sail area and structural mass, which results in a still small, but significant acceleration under the photon pressure of sunlight, is extremely challenging. The same challenging deployment technique is required for the unfolding of large reflector membranes or antennas (gossamer structures). The key elements are the booms which must be stowable in a very small envelope before they reach their destination in space. Such booms were developed by DLR and have been successfully tested under zero-g-conditions during a parabolic flight campaign in February 2009. It could be convincingly demonstrated that the unfolding process is both controllable and reproducible. The booms consisted of two co-bonded omega-shaped carbonfiber half shells with 0.1 mm wall thickness each and had a weight of only 62 g per meter. Two different deployment technologies were tested, one based upon an inflatable 12 μm thick polymer hose inside the boom, the other one using an electromechanical uncoiling device at the tip of each boom. In the latter case, the uncoiling devices will radially fly away from the spacecraft, such that they become “expendable deployment mechanisms” and their mass does not count any more for the spacecraft mass that needs to be accelerated or actively controlled.     

国外中继卫星对航天器交会对接的测控通信支持

中继卫星系统的天基测控通信是近代航天技术的重大突破,它能够有效地满足航天器交会对接的测控通信需要。文章分析了美国＂跟踪与数据中继卫星系统＂（TDRSS）和欧洲＂阿特米斯＂（ARTEMIS）中继卫星对＂自动转移飞行器＂（ATV）与＂国际空间站＂（ISS）交会对接任务的测控通信支持,总结了国外中继卫星系统支持航天器交会对接...     

带射频电缆的可展开天线阵在轨展开动力学

空间存在射频电缆穿越可展开部件工作区域的情形,这会对部件的展开特性造成较大的影响(特别是无源可展开机构),甚至会影响整个航天器任务。文章以某卫星带有半刚性射频电缆的无源可展开天线阵为例,提出了其动力学建模仿真流程,并建立在轨展开动力学模型;采用该模型开展了在轨展开动力学特性的仿真研究,同时与在轨实测数据进行了比对。结果表明,仿真数据与在轨实测数据基本一致,准确地评估了射频电缆对可展开天线阵在轨展开特性的影响,仿真评估方法有效。该建模仿真流程同样适用于卫星其他类型可展开部件的展开特性研究。     

空间结构展开与刚化

空间展开结构具有能构建大型结构、轻质而且成本低廉的特点。在航天器中呈折叠状的空间结构在空间充气展开后,要呈刚化,使其不因温度变化而引起变形并且不会因空间碎片或流星体的碰撞而被损坏。文中提出了展开前的折叠方法和包装效率评估方法。提出了两种刚化薄膜,在储存状态下易于折叠并能保持其所有的性能。一种采用单层薄膜浸渍长储存寿命树脂基的三轴编织纤维,另一种采用宽广温度范围长储存寿命的交互编织纤维刚性薄膜。     

Reconfigurable dual feed antenna for direct broadcast satellites

Direct Broadcast Satellites covering large countries such as Canada, require more than one spacecraft, located at different orbital positions, as well as the use of multiple shaped beams. This would minimize eclipse requirements over several time zones, provide increased capacity by frequency reuse and permit the use of cost effective ground receivers.Two such satellites are envisaged, one covering Eastern Canada, the other Western Canada, using two different sets of three highly shaped beams. This paper is the result of a feasibility study of a satellite antenna designed such that while at either orbital location it can be reconfigured in orbit, by ground command and hence can save the cost of one additional spare spacecraft.An offset parabolic reflector is proposed for the 12 GHz downlink, with a switched “dual feed” structure, consisting of two separate but contiguous sets of pyramidal horns and their associated beam forming networks (BFN). Only one BFN set is used at any one orbital location. Detailed radiation patterns demonstrate good beamshaping capabilities, with coverage efficiencies of the order of 94%. Other considerations such as the effect of orbital locations, gain equalization and TWTA standardization are discussed.It is concluded that a satellite, reconfigurable in orbit with a “dual feed” antenna, is feasible and cost effective, for a DBS spare as well as for the main spacecraft.     

大型反射面的充气展开动力学研究

为了掌握大型反射面从收拢状态到完全展开状态的动力学特性，采用气囊模型和控制体积(CV)法对反射面的充气展开过程进行研究。建立了包含中心轮毂、肋板、支撑杆、薄膜圆环和张拉绳的反射面有限元模型，提出逆解法获得折叠收拢状态下反射面的节点坐标，给出了充气展开动力学分析流程，获得了恒定充气速率下展开过程中圆环充气体积、环内压力等参数与展开时间的变化规律。结果表明，采用充气技术可进行大型反射面有序可控展开，反射面的充气展开过程分初始收拢状态、解锁释放、肋板展开、保压稳定四个阶段，地面充气展开试验结果验证了仿真分析的准确性。     

空间结构展开与刚化

空间展开结构具有能构建大型结构、轻质而且成本低廉的特点。在航天器中呈折叠状的空间结构在空间充气展开后，要呈刚化，使其不因温度变化而引起变形并且不会因空间碎片或流星体的碰撞而被损坏。文中提出了展开前的折叠方法和包装效率评估方法。提出了两种刚化薄膜，在储存状态下易于折叠并能保持其所有的性能。一种采用单层薄膜浸渍长储存寿命树脂基的三轴编织纤维，另一种采用宽广温度范围长储存寿命的交互编织纤维刚性薄膜。     

立方体纳卫星的发展及其启示

介绍了立方体纳卫星的发展概况;对“震动卫星”、Cute系列、“加拿大先进纳太空实验”卫星和Coral卫星平台等典型项目进行了分析,重点对立方体纳卫星的任务、姿态与轨道控制、电源系统、通信系统、星载综合电子和可靠性等方面进行了总结。结合立方体纳卫星快速发展的原因,提出了以下建议：结合在轨服务、深空探测和新技术空间飞行演示试验等应用需求,发展微电子技术、微机电系统技术的航天应用、微卫星平台技术和标准化辅载荷发射接口技术。