Systems design of a hybrid sail pole-sitter

This paper presents the preliminary systems design of a pole-sitter. This is a spacecraft that hovers over an Earth pole, creating a platform for full hemispheric observation of the polar regions, as well as direct-link telecommunications. To provide the necessary thrust, a hybrid propulsion system combines a solar sail with a more mature solar electric propulsion (SEP) thruster. Previous work by the authors showed that the combination of the two allows lower propellant mass fractions, at the cost of increased system complexity. This paper compares the pure SEP spacecraft with the hybrid spacecraft in terms of the launch mass necessary to deliver a certain payload for a given mission duration. A mass budget is proposed, and the conditions investigated under which the hybrid sail saves on the initial spacecraft initial mass. It is found that the hybrid spacecraft with near- to mid-term sail technology has a lower initial mass than the SEP case if the mission duration is 7 years or more, with greater benefits for longer duration missions. The hybrid spacecraft with far-term sail technology outperforms the pure SEP case even for short missions.     

主带小行星采样返回任务中的离子电推进应用方案

由于离子电推进的高比冲特性,采用它执行小行星探测器巡航阶段轨道机动任务时,将使探测器在同样的有效载荷下的发射重量大大减轻。针对我国规划中的主带小行星采样返回任务,调研了国外离子电推进在深空探测任务中的应用情况,在借鉴国外成功经验和任务需求分析的基础上,设计了主带小行星探测器离子电推进系统方案和应用策略,计算了在目前离子推力器寿命水平下,既定探测任务对离子电推进推力、比冲、推进剂量以及功耗需求。研究表明,目前研制的离子推力器可以满足规划中的主带小行星探测任务需求。研究成果对探测器的方案设计有参考价值。     

连续常值推力机动分析与应用

连续常值推力机动是空间飞行常用的轨道机动方式。其中,小推力适合于地球轨道航天器交会机动,而切向或周向推力以及较大的正径向推力可用于脱离地球引力场的逃逸飞行,执行星际交会使命。应用常推力作用下的质心运动方程,对机动推力的量值没有限制;在航天器交会应用中,对相对距离也无要求。这种方法可直接获得向径、轨道速度等参数随时间或极角(绕地心的转动角)的变化,便于分析轨道转移与逃逸运动,有助于飞行使命与运动轨迹的设计。特别是,若机动转移的初轨为圆轨道,在推力较小、飞行时间不长的情况下,应用量纲1形式的运动方程,可获得具有工程应用价值的近似解。     

基于电推进卫星飞往Halo轨道的转移轨道研究

利用电推进及轨道力学的特性实现节能优化,将限制性三体问题中的稳定不变流形与小推力轨道优化相结合,研究全电推进卫星从地球停泊轨道飞向日地拉格朗日L2点Halo轨道的低消耗转移轨道.航天器的转移轨道分为逃逸段、拼接段与无动力滑行段.在逃逸段卫星沿速度方向加速脱离地球引力,拼接段采用Radau伪谱法进行优化,使航天器以最短时间到达目标Halo轨道的稳定不变流形上,随后航天器电推进系统关机,沿稳定不变流形无动力滑行至目标轨道.基于雅克比积分常数给出拼接段轨道初始猜测值,以先提高切向方向航天器能量避免了全程优化离散点过多难以求解的问题.仿真结果表明,该方法收敛速度较快,对平动点工程任务的初期轨道特性计算具有实际意义.      

深空探测推进技术发展趋势

推进技术是制约深空探测能力的重要因素,由于深空探测航天器自身特点和任务需求的多样性,对推进系统类型的要求也不尽相同,需要在推力、比冲、功率、重量等关键指标选择方面进行综合衡量。对当前和未来适用于深空探测任务需求的几种典型空间推进技术的发展情况进行了阐述,包括混合模式推进技术、太阳能电推进技术、空间核电推进技术、帆类推进技术等,介绍了这些技术的研究进展和应用情况,并对后续应用进行了展望,为我国深空探测推进技术发展提供参考。     

超低轨道卫星应用离子电推进技术方案

低地球轨道大气环境对诸如科学探测和对地观测卫星的阻尼作用十分明显,而且阻尼随太阳和地磁活动以及昼夜、季节交替变化范围宽.为了保证卫星轨道精度或飞行状态满足任务要求,需要利用推进系统对卫星受到的阻尼进行实时或间歇式补偿以实现轨道或飞行状态的保持.针对轨道高度220～268 km的无拖曳飞行和轨道维持应用,基于卫星轨道阻尼...     

基于冲量变轨原理的地球同步卫星有限推力变轨策略

  推力有限时,地球同步轨道卫星在远地点变轨的弧段很长,会导致较多的燃料消耗。基于冲量变轨原理,研究了地球同步轨道卫星远地点有限推力多次变轨问题,提出了具有星下点约束的最省燃料变轨方案,给出了每次变轨的推力方向和点火起止时刻及最优中间过渡轨道。仿真结果验证了该方案的有效性。     

化学-电喷双模推进系统的研究现状及展望

传统的化学推进和电推进拥有不同的特点及适用范围.化学推进可以产生毫牛级至牛级推力,相比于电推进,推力大,推力范围宽;电推进比冲高达上千秒,最小可以产生微牛级推力.但两种模式单独执行任务有一定的局限性,难以完成较为复杂的航天任务.化学推进与电推进相结合的双模推进系统,同时拥有高比冲和较宽的推力范围,为航天器提供了更高的任...     

国外电喷推进技术发展与趋势

电喷推进是一种具有高比冲、高效率、快启动、高集成度的微小功率电推进技术,非常适合于微纳卫星轨道转移、位置保持任务和引力波探测器等较大型航天器的高精度姿态控制、无拖曳控制等任务。电喷推进技术概念形成于1960年。国外电喷推进在经历了曲折的发展历程后,从20世纪90年代开始,在微制造、新材料、离子液体、高性能电源等技术大幅进步的推动下,取得了巨大进展,目前已经达到空间应用水平。美国、瑞士、英国研究电喷推进较深入,其中又以美国投入最大、创新最显著、成果最丰富。美国MIT大学提提出并开展了有利于实现高比冲和批产化的iEPS系列电喷推力器芯片研究,近年来主要在开展推力密度和可靠性提升的研究工作。Busek公司主要发展大推力和宽调节电喷推进。密苏里科技大学提出并开展了基于一种含能液体推进剂的、具有化学推进模式和电喷推进模式的化电双模微推进技术研究。密歇根理工大学则提出了基于铁磁流体的流体成型发射体电喷推进技术。本文通过对国外电喷推进发展历程、最新进展的研究,提出了电喷推进发展趋势以及对我国电喷推进发展的建议。     

航天器交会快速接近机动策略

对航天器交会接近段V-bar上保持点间的转移,单向(轨道径向或周向)推力机动的最短转移时间为半个轨道周期(对应双径向推力冲量)。若要求转移时间小于半个轨道周期,须采用双向(径向与周向联合)推力。为此,提出5种机动方案:1)起点双向冲量与终点双向冲量机动;2)途中双向连续推力机动;3)起点双向冲量与途中双向连续推力机动;4)途中双向连续推力与终点双向冲量机动;5)起点切向冲量与途中径向连续推力及终点切向冲量机动(即直线路径转移)。其中,方案1)(冲量机动)的速度增量最小,但轨迹视界角最大;方案5)(直线路径)的视界角最小(近似为零),但当转移时间T>0.292P(P为轨道周期)时,所需的速度增量较大。机动方案的选择应全面考虑转移轨迹安全性、速度增量需求、转移轨迹视界角,以及机动复杂程度等多方面因素。若视界角可满足总体设计要求,宜选择方案1);当T<0.292P时,也可考虑方案5)。     

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.     

Feasibility analysis of solar thermal propulsion system with thermal energy storage

Possessing relatively high specific impulse and moderate thrust levels, solar thermal propulsion (STP) is a promising candidate in spacecraft propulsion system. However, the traditional solar thermal propulsion system suffers from thrust failure in the shadow area, which seriously affects its applicability. In this paper, we investigate feasibility of regenerative solar thermal propulsion system (RSTP) incorporating thermal energy storage, which can effectively overcome unmatched synchronous working time and illumination time. A numerical model for RSTP considering the whole energy transfer process from light concentrating, heat storage, to thrust generation is built, which is verified by experiment measurements with relative errors less than 15 %. The result shows that the maximum time to complete heat storage is about 4000 s, which is within the illumination time for low Earth orbit. In the solar eclipse region, the thrust (F_t) and the specific impulse (I_sp) of the system increase with the propellant flow rate, which can reach about 2 N and 690 s, respectively. What’s more, the system can operate for around 100 s continuously at the maximum thrust in the shadow area. This work provides alternative approaches for microsatellite propulsion with high specific impulse, high thrust, and continuous operation despite presence of solar eclipse.     

连续小推力条件下星座轨道机动方法研究

基于连续小推力条件下星座轨道机动的动力学特性分析,研究了其入轨的布局置入和离轨机动方法。地球轨道上的大型星座数量巨大,传统的轨迹优化方法较难应用。针对多星入轨的星座布局置入任务,求解了分时序抬轨的相位调整问题,并在轨道抬升过程中,利用轨道倾角偏置补偿升交点赤经漂移。针对星座中卫星的离轨任务,设计了半长轴和偏心率的联合调整方法。在保证卫星快速离轨的同时,能够有效减少燃料的消耗。考虑到连续小推力机动的弧段效应,控制策略需要围绕控制效应的曲线积分进行优化。     

Near real-time BDS GEO satellite orbit determination and maneuver analysis with reversed point positioning

The Geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO) satellite is a crucial part of the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) constellation. However, due to various perturbation forces acting on the GEO satellite, it drifts gradually over time. Thus, frequent orbit maneuvers are required to maintain the satellite at its designed position. During the orbit maneuver and recovery periods, the orbit quality of the maneuvered satellite computed with broadcast navigation ephemeris will be significantly degraded. Furthermore, the conventional dynamic Precise Orbit Determination (POD) approach may not work well, because of a lack of publicly available satellite information for modeling the thrust forces. In this paper, a near real-time approach free of thrust forces modeling is proposed for BDS GEO satellite orbit determination and maneuver analysis based on the Reversed Point Positioning (RPP). First, the station coordinates and receiver clock offsets are estimated by GPS/BDS combined Single Point Positioning (SPP) with single-frequency phase-smoothed pseudorange observations. Then, with the fixed station coordinates and receiver clock offsets, the RPP method can be conducted to determine the GEO satellite orbits. When no orbit maneuvers occur, the proposed method can obtain orbit accuracies of 0.92, 2.74, and 8.30?m in the radial, along-track, and cross-track directions, respectively. The average orbit-only Signal-In-Space Range Error (SISRE) is 1.23?m, which is slightly poorer than that of the broadcast navigation ephemeris. Using four days of GEO maneuvered datasets, it is further demonstrated that the derived orbits can be employed to characterize the behaviors of GEO satellite maneuvers, such as the time span of the maneuver as well as the satellite thrusting accelerations. These results prove the efficiency of the proposed method for near real-time GEO satellite orbit determination during maneuvers.     

连续小推力航天器自主导航及在轨参数标定

以连续小推力航天器为背景,提出了综合考虑星载加速度计和推力器在轨标定的自主导航方案。首先以精确姿态测量和引力梯度模型为标定参考信息源,建立了包含加速度计参数、推力器参数以及光压系数的完整参数测量模型;然后基于天文导航方法建立了自主导航系统状态模型和观测模型;表明各状态和参数的能观性后,采用了具备良好计算效率和鲁棒性的双重无迹卡尔曼滤波方法进行状态和参数联合估计。分析与数值仿真表明,该方法通过结合参数在轨标定直接提高了导航模型精度,在工程应用中具备可行性和有效性。     

卫星导航系统失效性能分析与重构方法研究

摘要： 以建成后的北斗卫星导航系统为对象,研究导航星座中有卫星失效下的星座性能和重构方法.分析不同失效模式下导航星座的服务性能,在此基础上建立导航星座重构构型的优化模型和基于遗传算法的导航星座重构构型优化设计方法;研究星座构型重构过程中卫星的机动策略和机动模型;针对某一具体的失效情况通过仿真计算验证重构模型的有效性和准确性并给出该失效情况下构型重构的机动方案.     

SEP events and multi-spacecraft observations: Constraints on theory

Fifteen solar energetic particle (SEP) events have been analyzed using proton flux data recorded by the Helios 1, Helios 2, and IMP 8 spacecraft in the energy range ∼4–40 MeV during 1974–1982. For each of the events at least two of the spacecraft have their nominal magnetic footpoint within 20° in heliocentric longitude from each other. The SEP events are sub-grouped as a function of their heliocentric longitudinal separation and heliocentric radial distance from the SEP associated solar flare and several case studies are presented in this paper. Main results concerning their usage in estimating the SEP radial dependence are given. Moreover, we investigate the behavior of the third not connected spacecraft in order to study the dependence of the proton flux as a function of flare location. It is found that the contribution of the longitudinal gradient in determining variations in the SEP proton flux is particularly relevant for spacecraft having their magnetic connection footpoint separated from the flare between 30° and 50°.     

航天器交会绝对导航向相对导航过渡阶段的分析与设计

对航天器交会寻的段不同的机动模式,考虑相对导航最远联络距离、最晚联络开始时间以及最早轨道圆化机动时间等约束条件,阐述绝对导航向相对导航的过渡阶段(即介于调相段与寻的段之间的漂移段)的设计问题,包括漂移段终点与相对导航联络点位置的确定以及漂移段起点位置偏差分析,建立了漂移段起点标称位置与调相段机动速度偏差的关系式,给出漂移段起点标称位置范围及调整方法。     

高精度霍尔电推进技术的应用与发展研究

在现代化全域通信导航的应用背景下,卫星平台所需具备的精确轨道预测与实时轨道控制能力对电推进系统的推力精度、分辨率等性能提出更高的要求,因此建设高精度的电推进系统具有非常重要的意义。通过对空间应用需求和电推进技术现状的分析,阐明了当前电推进技术的推力输出精度不足以支撑高精度连续导航、超低轨卫星实时阻力补偿以及高分辨率遥感卫星动中成像等空间任务的需求。在此基础上,以霍尔推进系统为研究对象,针对研制高精度推进系统的技术难点,从霍尔推力器技术、流量控制技术、电源及控制技术和试验验证技术四个方面阐述了国内外研究的现状,分析和探讨了关键技术的发展方向和研究思路,为高精度霍尔推进技术未来的重点研究和发展方向提出建议。     

The influence of orbital maneuver on autonomous orbit determination of an extended satellite navigation constellation

The right ascension of the ascending node is unobservable if only the inter-satellite ranging is used for autonomous orbit determination (AOD) of an Earth navigation constellation. However, if an Earth-Moon libration point satellite is added to the Earth navigation constellation to construct an extended navigation constellation, all the orbital elements can be determined with only the inter-satellite ranging. Furthermore, the extended navigation constellation can provide navigation information for interplanetary probes. For such an extended navigation constellation, orbital control needs to be considered due to the instability of the libration-point satellite orbit. This study concerns the influence of satellite orbital maneuver on the AOD of the extended navigation constellation. An AOD method under orbital maneuver is proposed. A low thrust controller is designed to achieve libration point satellite autonomous orbit maintenance by using AOD results. A navigation constellation consisting of three GPS satellites and one libration point satellite are designed for simulation. The simulation results show that libration point satellites can achieve autonomous navigation and autonomous orbit maintenance by only using inter-satellite ranging information. The rotation drift error of the Earth navigation constellation is also suppressed.