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...     

编队飞行航天器测量通信一体化系统的交互链路技术

实现航天编队飞行需要有测量系统测定队列成员的相对位置、姿态和时间,还需要通信系统在编队成员间交换工程数据和科学实验数据。测量系统和通信系统都是实现航天编队飞行的核心技术。基于卫星导航技术,将卫星导航接收机、伪卫星发射机、伪码扩频序列通信和测距链路及相关数据处理模块组合,组成射频收发器,可以构成完成上述功能的测量和通信一体化系统。文中根据国外已有的实践经验阐明射频收发器设计中的交互链路设计技术,包括关于链路拓扑的考虑是采用星形网络还是网形网络;采用相控阵波束形成、分路多路径接收和多用户检测技术;采用半双工码分多址的多路传输体制和打包的信号结构;既可用兼用GPS和交互链路的相对导航,也可只用交互链路测距实现相对定位导航;在编队内外的星间通信乃至星地通信中引入移动IP功能等。航天器本身必须具备适应空间环境的耐辐射能力。     

我国天基综合信息网构想

阐述了天基综合信息网的定义、组成和特征;介绍了美国和欧洲天基综合信息网的研究情况;提出了我国天基综合信息网的体系架构,其中包含通信卫星、导航卫星、遥感卫星、载人飞船等航天器和临近空间各种飞行器,以及地面系统。分析了该网络的特点和可用的网络协议结构;探讨了该网络的组网结构、网络协议、服务质量(QoS)路由、网络管理、网络安全防护、激光通信和星载处理交换等多项关键技术。依据国情,提出了我国天基综合信息网构想。此构想采用双层(地球静止轨道和低地球轨道)通信卫星星座和导航卫星星座,实现全球全时覆盖空间层航天器、临近空间层飞行器和地面层各种用户终端,通过星间链路、星地链路和地面线路组成一个空天地一体化的全球信息网络。在国外不设地球站的情况下,该网络可实现:国内测控站测控我国全球运行的卫星;国内遥感站实时接收我国全球遥感卫星发送的信息;国内关口站管理我国授权的全球用户站之间的互通信息。最后,提出了开展我国天基综合信息网的可行性研究建议。     

美国调整军事航天器的发展策略

美国对军事航天器的依赖性不断增强,也面临着航天器越来越长的研制周期和越来越高的研制成本,因此,改变军事航天器的发展策略成为当务之急。美国为提升战场实战能力正在进行发展思路的战略性调整,主要包括:拓展搭载军事有效载荷的途径;推进将大型卫星有效载荷拆分成小卫星的模式;开发分布式军事太空系统结构;对运载资源挖潜;优化商业模式实现业务拓展。对已有卫星的后续系统,进行规模改造与能力提升途径的调整,主要包括:对于军事通信卫星,扩大宽带或"超高频"(SHF)系统,突出窄带或"特高频"(UHF)系统及"先进极高频"(AEHF)系统;分步升级GPS的地面部分,将GPS-3提升为国家关键基础设施;确保导弹预警卫星系统重点。在开发新系统时,美国注重提高效能和降低成本,发展有效的支持能力和低成本小卫星系统,提高低成本机动发射和快速进入太空的能力,并以轨道资源利用为目的开拓新途径。     

超宽带相控阵天线的发展现状及星载应用展望

面向卫星载荷小型化、集成化和多功能一体化的发展趋势,具有超宽带、高增益和波束灵活特性的天线是目前星载天线领域的研究热点,其可满足通信、干扰、侦察、探测等多种不同应用场景,具有十分迫切的需求。首先对不同形式的超宽带天线单元进行了归纳梳理,根据天线的机电特性和空间环境适应性情况,给出了星载应用选型建议;其次对不同的超宽带波束形成方式进行了阐述,重点分析了不同波束形成方式的优缺点及其在卫星平台上的适用性;总结了超宽带相控阵天线涉及到的关键技术,对主要的技术途径进行了介绍;最后对超宽带相控阵天线的星载应用技术发展提出了建议,可为我国后续开展星载超宽带相控阵天线的技术研究和工程应用提供参考。     

星地融合网络相控阵天线应用研究进展

卫星通信网络与地面移动通信网络融合，可提供低时延、广覆盖的泛在接入服务。相控阵天线作为星地传输端到端信息获取的射频前端，具有剖面低、波束成形灵活、多维参数捷变等优点，但也面临降低成本及功耗、增加宽带传输能力、提高宽角扫描性能等方面的挑战。与现有相关综述关注相控阵天线设计流程及制造工艺不同，对相控阵天线在星地融合网络中的应用研究进行综述。首先，阐述相控阵天线的不同架构和特点。其次，总结应对挑战的若干关键技术，包括波束凝视、高精度波束指向、低成本、多波束等。最后，展望在分布式星群组网、高频段演进和通信感知融合等场景中的发展趋势和研究方向。     

空间目标小型相控阵雷达探测技术

地基探测系统受站点布局限制,难以实现全轨道空间的目标探测与跟踪。为对高价值航天器邻域空间目标进行全时探测与跟踪,提出基于伴随微纳卫星的小型化相控阵雷达技术。通过分析不同波段雷达对大范围空间目标搜索与精细跟踪的性能,并综合考虑系统复杂度与功耗等因素,最终选择C波段作为雷达工作频段。详细阐述小型化相控阵雷达的系统设计、目标搜索与跟踪的信号处理方法、测距与测角误差分析等。仿真分析证明,该小型化相控阵雷达能对25 km范围内、40°×40°的三维空间进行目标搜索,实现0.4 m的测距精度与0.03°的测角精度,满足空间目标大范围搜索与跟踪应用的需求。     

基于Petri网的分布式编队小卫星星间通信仿真平台研究

针对编队小卫星星间通信的要求,提出基于Petri网的分布式编队小卫星星 间通信系统仿真平台。首先对编队小卫星星间通信系统进行TTDPN(T\|Timed Discrete Pe tri Net,TTDPN)建模,并建立该模型与分布式仿真平台间的映射。根据该映射关系设计编 队小卫星星间通信仿真平台的逻辑结构和数据流,搭建分布式编队小卫星星间通信系统仿真 平台。联合空间环境、姿态和轨道等分系统,重点对星间通信系统中信道编译码模块和扩频 解扩模块中的关键技术进行仿真验证。仿真结果表明：基于Petri网的分布式编队小卫星星 间通信系统仿真平台能够显著缩短仿真时间,提高仿真精度和仿真结果的置信度,提高通信 系统中模块的设计效率。
     

近地轨道大型航天器的环境充电

许多空间实验和电子计算机预测已经揭示，在极光电子环境中大型航天器的充电电位会高达６０００－－７０００Ｖ。对采用大功率太阳阵的航天器而言，其相对于空间等离子体的悬浮电位将因太阳阵工作电压的提高而增加。例如表面材料因遭受离子轰击和电弧放电而老化、剥蚀、由于材料再沉积而使表面污染增加以及航天器电子系统因静电放电而受到严重的干扰和破坏等。因而对载人航天和长寿命空间站而言，解决航天器带电问题不可等闲视之。对     

Cost reduction trends in space communications by larger satellites/platforms

The paper analyses first the satellite growth trend in the past and the specific characteristics of communication satellites, as there are specific mass per channel and payload share vs. spacecraft mass.

With assistance of a cost model (derived from actual spacecraft cost) it is shown that larger satellites are more cost effective. The same applies to the launch cost, also showing a reduction in specific cost (per kg or per channel-year) for larger payloads.

Finally different types of communication satellites/platforms are compared (two smaller satellites, one large satellite, modular docked assemblies) for the same total communication capacity of 72 000 dual telephone channels. It is shown that for each orbital communication capacity a certain optimum spacecraft size exists which leads to minimum space segment cost.     

Inflatable antenna for cubesats: Motivation for development and antenna design

CubeSats and small satellites have potential to provide means to explore space and to perform science in a more affordable way. As the goals for these spacecraft become more ambitious in space exploration, moving from Low Earth Orbit (LEO) to Geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO) or further, the communication systems currently implemented will not be able to support those missions. One of the bottlenecks in small spacecraft communication systems is represented by antennas' size, due to the close relation between antenna gain and dimensions. Current antennas for CubeSats are mostly dipole or patch antennas with limited gain. Deployable (not inflatable) antennas for CubeSats are currently being investigated, but these solutions are affected by the challenge of packaging the whole deployable structure in a small spacecraft.The work that we propose represents the first attempt to develop an inflatable antenna for CubeSats. Inflatable structures and antennas can be packaged efficiently occupying a small amount of space, and they can provide, once deployed, large dish dimension and correspondent gain. Inflatable antennas have been previously tested in space (Inflatable Antenna Experiment, STS-77). However they have never been developed for small spacecraft such as CubeSats, where the packaging efficiency, the deployment, and the inflation represent a challenge.Our study explores for the first time the possibility of developing such antenna in a way compatible with CubeSat dimensions and constraints. The research provides answers on the possible dimensions for an inflatable antenna for small satellites, on the gain and resolution that can be achieved, and on the deployment and inflation mechanism compatible with CubeSat. Future work in the development of the antenna will include the test of the antenna in flight during a specific technical demonstration mission.The article is structured as follows: context and motivation for Cubesat inflatable antenna are described; then a study to design the antenna which achieves the required performance metrics, while respecting the constraints imposed by CubeSat structure, is presented.     

分布式空间系统和航天器编队飞行辨析——兼谈航天器知识编队和精确编队飞行应用实例

小卫星技术的迅速发展和应用,为空间应用开辟了许多新领域,同时出现了很多新概念和新名词。文章对分布式卫星系统、编队飞行、星座、星群以及空间敏感器网等概念及其相互之间的区别进行了系统论述,也介绍了航天器知识编队和精确编队飞行的应用实例。     

The critical satellite technical issues of future pervasive broadband low-cost communication networks

Using a baseline design for a 30/20 GHz system, this paper addresses the critical technical issues of signal waveform design, projected spacecraft technology, satellite launch options and satellite cost. With DPCM (differential pulse-coded modulation) video signal encoding, 32 Mb/s user-to-user data rate per channel, 10% overhead, two orthogonal polarizations, and crosstalk loss limited to 1 dB, TFM (tamed frequency modulation—a type of QPSK) permits about 75 channels/GHz of frequency allocation, i.e. about twice the capacity possible with MSK or SFSK (types of QPSK). The BOM (beginning of mission) weight and power of a baseline 400-channel multi-beam satellite is about 1800 kg and 5000 W. Each 35 Mb/s channel can support 1–10 video channels depending on the signal processing at the ground terminals. These weight and power estimates assume hardened digital logic, composite material for a multibeam antenna structure, high-efficiency solar cells (45 W/kg), NiH₂ batteries and 10W/20 GHz power amplifiers. If more speculative late-1980s solar cell technology is assumed, then the BOM weight decreases about 10–15%. Using the Space Transportation System being developed by NASA, geosynchronous deployment options are shown as a function of communications capacity. Based on a cost model for large communication satellites, the total space segment cost of two active satellites and one spare would be about $485M. This system would have a peak capacity of 14 Gb/s or 400-35 Mb/s simultaneous one-way channels. Demonstration and/or initial system (ground plus space) costs would be significantly less. It is concluded that the above baseline satellite appears to be technically feasible in the late-1980s.     

一种相控阵通道的快速测量方法

随着相控阵系统在通信领域的大规模应用,需要供应商提供能够长期稳定工作的设备。而相控阵通道幅相特性在使用的过程中会随着时间产生变化,最终会导致波束性能下降。为了简化相控阵后期维护,降低维护时间和成本,需要在其维护阶段对相控阵通道进行幅相特性测量。这种测量必须由相控阵系统独立完成,且不应该依赖外部环境。传统的测量方法是依次对每个通道进行独立的测量,这种测量方法效率低下,大规模相控阵的测量时间一般都在数十分钟以上,会使通信业务长时间中断,不利于系统快速维护的需求。目前,对相控阵通道幅相的快速测量方法主要是在相控阵天线位于特定的测试环境下进行,目的是加快相控阵的生产周期,不适用于后期维护。将多载波和系统同步结合,提出了一种相控阵通道的快速测量方法。该方法在相同测量精度下,测量所消耗的时间大约比传统串行测量方法少两个数量级,相比于已有的快速测量方法测量时间大幅缩短。最后通过仿真验证了方法的有效性,得出了测量精度和测量时间的关系。并在相同测量精度条件下与传统串行测量方法和已有快速测量方法的测量时间进行对比。     

Communicating across the solar system

The technological advances of the Space Age have enabled us to project our senses through complex instruments to the edge of the Solar System and beyond. The link back to Earth by the communication channel has provided us with a wealth of information. The vast improvement in communication capability, by a factor of 10¹⁸, from the launching of the first earth satellites to the capacity of the Voyager telecommunications link across the Solar System, is symbolic of both our technical prowess and our cultural development. The combination of data rate and extreme distance at the Voyager 2 encounters with Uranus and Neptune in 1986 and 1989 will require the ground network to perform an engineering feat of unequalled magnitude. This paper describes the engineering challenge of communicating with spacecraft at the limits of the Solar System and the engineering responses to that challenge.     

A compact, light-weight high data-rate antenna system for remote-sensing orbiters and space exploration

Upcoming space missions utilizing hyperspectral or other high-resolution sensors will generate a vast amount of data in orbit. The average communication duration between a spacecraft in low Earth orbit (LEO) to a dedicated ground station is short and in addition, due to the high amount of data to be transferred at link times, a high-performance communication system on board of the satellite is indispensable.A solution that provides longer acquisition times with the ground station is to employ a high data-rate inter-satellite link to a geostationary relay satellite, which requires a flat, compact, steerable, light-weight yet robust antenna. Such an antenna system (antenna module plus pointing module) was developed for S-Band at the Institute of Astronautics (Technische Universität München), in cooperation with German space companies, research institutes and the German Aerospace Center (DLR). Its successful operation via the geostationary relay satellite Artemis was demonstrated in cooperation with ESA in 2007.This paper describes the evaluation of an antenna system in the Ka-Band, as a successor to be developed in the next two years for high data rates and the various applications of such an antenna system.     

基于多波位波束搜索的大型相控阵阵列信号处理技术

数字波束合成技术是通信对抗领域里一项至关重要的技术,通过在数字域对信号幅度和相位进行控制,可以形成多个独立可控的波束,形成波束指向精度高、灵活可变,且理论上不受波束形成数量的限制。本文针对大型相控阵需求,利用波束合成原理,并结合大规模阵列信号同步技术与相控阵幅相校准技术,实现一种可同时产生180个偏馈波束的多波位波束搜索系统。该系统可以利用波束群的实时扫描功能,实现大范围的波束搜索,更快定位目标角度。该系统已在工程上进行应用,并成功执行大型测控任务,取得圆满成功。     

Tracking and data relay satellite system: NASA's new spacecraft data acquisition system

The growth in NASA's ground network complexity and cost triggered a search for an alternative. Through a lease service contract, Western Union will provide to NASA 10 years of space communications services with a Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS). A constellation of four operating satellites in geostationary orbit and a single ground terminal will provide complete tracking, telemetry and command service for all of NASA's Earth orbital satellites below an altitude of 12,000 km. The system is shared: two satellites will be dedicated to NASA service; a third will provide backup as a shared spare; the fourth satellite will be dedicated to Western Union's Advanced Westar commercial service. Western Union will operate the ground terminal and provide operational satellite control. NASA's Network Control Center will provide the focal point for scheduling user services and controlling the interface between TDRSS and the rest of the NASA communications network, project control centers and data processing facilities. TDRSS single access user spacecraft data systems should be designed for efficient time shared data relay support. Reimbursement policy and rate structure for non-NASA users are currently being developed.     

基于CAN总线的有效载荷温度测控系统

温度是有效载荷系统设计中的一个重要参数,针对空间粒子探测器阿尔法磁谱仪(AMS),介绍一种基于CAN总线的分布式有效载荷温度测控系统。系统采用数字式温度传感器DS18S20作为温度检测元件,以单总线实现远程数据采集模块的多点温度检测。基于探测器的地面测试系统,实验分析了数字式温度传感器空间应用的可靠性,并从软硬件角度提出了改善系统可靠性和测量精度的方法。