Integrated RF-optical TT&C for interplanetary telecomms

Science return and high bandwidth communications are one of the key issues to support the foreseen endeavours on next generation missions [J.L. Gerner, Telemetry, tracking and command of satellites—a perspective, TT&C 2004 Workshop, 7–9 September 2004]. Interplanetary telecommunication systems are required that support the foreseen endeavours. Given the same constraints in terms of mass, power and volume a laser communications terminal can offer an increase in telemetry bandwidth over classical RF technology allowing for a variety of new options, specifically to missions that require large distances, such as to the Moon, to liberation points L1 and L2, ultimately aiming at deep space missions. An increase in telemetry data rate allows the mission to consider the processing of raw scientific data to take place on ground, making use of latest technology further developed during the cruise phase of the probe, rather than applying data pre-processing on-board the satellite. Enhanced sensing techniques that generate more science data return could be used and access to data during flight could be faster. Results of on-going activities will be presented, comprising PPM laser communications and advanced tracking concepts. An overview will be given of the system concept for an integrated RF-optical TT&C transponder. Results will be shown from hardware tests on communications performance in inter-island test campaigns.     

智能天地一体化网络的卫星跟踪测控技术综述

随着卫星互联网和我国航天测控技术的不断进步,航天测控网络朝着智能化、一体化的方向发展,在自主测控、资源分配等方面进展良好。因此,建立智能天地一体化的航天测控网是我国航天未来发展的重要目标。针对智能航天测控网中的跟踪测轨、遥测和遥控三个方面,分别介绍了相关原理与技术。同时,结合CCSDS提出的空间数据链路标准协议详细介绍了TM、TC、AOS、Proximity-1以及USLP标准,分析了不同标准所使用的技术与实际应用。本文从数据链路层和物理层的角度介绍了智能航天测控系统的工作原理及技术要求,为我国智能天地一体化卫星测控通信网的研究提供参考并予以展望。     

一种高集成小卫星测控系统的综合设计

在传统小卫星测控系统的S频段应答机、中继测控单元、遥控单元及星务管理单元的设计基础上,对小卫星测控系统进行了综合设计。设计中采用低温共烧陶瓷(LTCC)、微组装工艺、键合技术、片上系统(SOC)微型芯片等新技术,将小卫星测控系统各功能单元融合在一台高集成、多功能的小型化测控产品中,实现星上资源的统一利用和测控任务的统一调度管理。与传统的小卫星测控系统相比,体积减小70%,质量减小80%,功耗降低35%,可满足小卫星体积小、质量小、功耗低的产品需求。文章提出的设计可为后续集成测控系统的设计提供参考。     

AB beam propulsion for interplanetary flights

The author offers a revolutionary method—non-rocket transfer of energy and thrust into Space with a distance of millions of kilometers. The author has developed the theory and made the computations. The method is more efficient than transmission of energy by high-frequency waves. The method may be used for space launch and for accelerating the spaceship and probes for very high speeds, up to a relativistic speed by the current technology. The research also contains prospective projects which illustrate the possibilities of the suggested method.     

Autonomous aerobraking for low-cost interplanetary missions

Aerobraking has previously been used to reduce the propellant required to deliver an orbiter to its desired final orbit. In principle, aerobraking should be possible around any target planet or moon having sufficient atmosphere to permit atmospheric drag to provide a portion of the mission ΔV, in lieu of supplying all of the required ΔV propulsively. The spacecraft is flown through the upper atmosphere of the target using multiple passes, ensuring that the dynamic pressure and thermal loads remain within the spacecraft's design parameters. NASA has successfully conducted aerobraking operations four times, once at Venus and three times at Mars. While aerobraking reduces the fuel required, it does so at the expense of time (typically 3–6 months), continuous Deep Space Network (DSN) coverage, and a large ground staff. These factors can result in aerobraking being a very expensive operational phase of the mission. However, aerobraking has matured to the point that much of the daily operation could potentially be performed autonomously onboard the spacecraft, thereby reducing the required ground support and attendant aerobraking related costs. To facilitate a lower-risk transition from ground processing to an autonomous capability, the NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC) has assembled a team of experts in aerobraking and interplanetary guidance and control to develop a high-fidelity, flight-like simulation. This simulation will be used to demonstrate the overall feasibility while exploring the potential for staff and DSN coverage reductions that autonomous aerobraking might provide. This paper reviews the various elements of autonomous aerobraking and presents an overview of the various models and algorithms that must be transformed from the current ground processing methodology to a flight-like environment. Additionally the high-fidelity flight software test bed, being developed from models used in a recent interplanetary mission, will be summarized.     

Ka频段全机动综合测控系统无人机标校设计与应用

任务前的系统标校和跟踪验证是Ka频段全机动综合测控系统需要完成的重要工作。Ka频段全机动综合测控系统机动性强,同时支持陆地机动测控和海上测控需求。系统布站位置灵活,布站地无标校塔,无法采用传统固定标校塔方法进行系统标校和跟踪验证。无人机平台机动灵活,搭载Ka频段信标机和校零变频器设备后,不仅可用于完成Ka频段全机动综合测控系统静态情况下的校相、距离校零和跟踪验证工作,还可满足系统机动测控情况下的跟踪验证需求。本文设计了无人机测试标校系统,满足Ka频段全机动综合测控系统在任意布站位置展开标校和跟踪验证工作,并进行了机动情况下的测控跟踪验证。经实测,“动中测”的测量精度满足要求,为机动型测控系统提供了一种新的跟踪验证手段,具有良好的应用前景。     

European initiative & strategy for prioritising and harmonising space technology R&D

This document outlines the objectives, strategy guidelines, and the approach for the harmonisation of European space technology activities, in line with and in support of the resolution “Shaping of the Future of Europe in Space”, adopted at the ESA Ministerial Council in May 1999.Under an overall ESA co-ordination, the European space sector is elaborating a technology strategy based on top-level priorities (Dossier 0), on the mapping of European development and competences and on a co-ordinated Space Technology Master Plan (ESTMP). This plan shall take into account the various European developments, industry capacities and budgets and shall enhance the complementary role of the various partners towards common objectives.The proposed strategy includes selection of priority activities as pilot projects for harmonisation. For these pre-selected pilot projects, agreements are required on responsibilities, leaderships, partnerships and budget commitments.     

Superconducting magnets and mission strategies for protection from ionizing radiation in interplanetary manned missions and interplanetary habitats

First order evaluations for active shielding based on superconducting magnetic lenses were made in the past in ESA supported studies. The present increasing interest of permanent space complexes, to be considered in the far future as ‘bases’ rather than ‘stations’, located in ‘deep’ space (as it has been proposed for the L1 libration’s point between Earth and Moon, or for Stations in orbit around Mars), requires that this preliminary activity continues, envisaging the problem of the protection from cosmic ray (CR) action at a scale allowing long permanence in ‘deep’ space, not only for a relatively small number of dedicated astronauts but also to citizens conducting there ‘normal’ activities.Part of the personnel of such a ‘deep space base’ should stay and work there for a long period of time. It is proposed that the activities and life of these personnel will be concentrated in a sector protected from Galactic CR (GCR) during the whole duration of their mission. In the exceptional case of an intense flux of Solar Energetic Protons (SEP), this sector could be of use as a shelter for all the other personnel normally located in other sectors of the Space Base.The realization of the magnetic protection of the long permanence sector by well-established current materials and techniques is in principle possible, but not workable in practice for the huge required mass of the superconductor, the too low operating temperature (10–15 K) and the corresponding required cooling power and thermal shielding.However the fast progress in the production of reliable High Temperature Superconducting (HTS) or MgB₂ cables and of cryocoolers suitable for space operation opens the perspective of practicable solutions. In fact these cables, when used at relatively low temperature, but in any case higher than for NbTi and Nb₃Sn, show a thermodynamically much better behavior. Quantitative evaluations for the protection of the sector of the ‘Space Base’ to be protected from GCRs (and therefore from SEPs also) are presented.For possible large outer radius solutions it must in the meantime solve the problem of the assembling or deploying in space the conductors for returning the electric current.     

Method of continuation for optimization of interplanetary low-thrust trajectories

The problem of local optimization of interplanetary low-thrust trajectories is considered with the use of the maximum principle and continuation numerical methods. Two types of problems are analyzed: problems with limited power and problems with limited thrust. The latter problem is generalized by introducing the dependence of thrust and specific impulse on available electric power. In order to reduce the problem of optimal control to a boundary value problem, the Pontryagin maximum principle is used, and then, using the continuation method, this boundary value problem is reduced to the Cauchy problem. Variants of the continuation method for optimizing low-thrust trajectories are presented in the paper, including a new method of continuation for the limited thrust problem, which does not require any choice of the initial approximation for boundary values of conjugate variables.     

FY—1C卫星地面综合测试软件技术

介绍FY－1C星地面综合测试软件的系统构成、系统的网络数据流，着重介绍为提高测试软件的安全可靠性、准确性，提高软件对卫星的监视能力，提高软件发现问题的能力，以及提高软件发现问题的主动预报能力而采取的行之有效的有效的方法。并给出了一些软件实际应用的成果图。     

Distributed telemetry & telecommand for future sunsat missions

This paper will describe the conceptional design of a telemetry and telecommand system to be employed on the next generation SUNSAT microsatellite. The performance of the centralized, time division multiplexed telemetry system used on SUNSAT I can be optimized in terms of size, flexibility and bandwidth utilization. Therefore a method will be presented to implement a reliable, decentralized telemetry and telecommand (T&T) system based on experience gained from SUNSAT 1 and conforming to the Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems recommendations. Controller Area Network technology will be evaluated as a possible solution to realize a robust, multi-master and fault-tolerant T&T system. The expected performance and system improvements of the new T&T system will be compared to the current system used on SUNSAT 1.     

Orbital and angular motion construction for low thrust interplanetary flight

Low thrust interplanetary flight is considered. Firstly, the fuel-optimal control is found. Then the angular motion is synthesized. This motion provides the thruster tracking of the required by optimal control direction. And, finally, reaction wheel control law for tracking this angular motion is proposed and implemented. The numerical example is given and total operation time for thrusters is found. Disturbances from solar pressure, thrust eccentricity, inaccuracy of reaction wheels installation and errors of inertia tensor are taken into account.     

Rapid assessment of radiobiological doses for terrestrial and interplanetary space missions

This paper presents the doses levels expected in orbits in chart form, covering the range 300-800 km of altitude and 0-90 degrees of inclination behind shieldings similar to the Hermes spacecraft and the EVA spacesuit matter distributions. These charts allow users to rapidly find the radiobiological dose received in the most critical organs of the human body either in normal situations or during a large solar event. Outside the magnetosphere, during interplanetary or lunar missions, when the dose received during crossing of the radiation belts become negligible, the dose is due to galactic cosmic rays (GCR) and solar flares. The correct radiobiological assessment of the components of this radiation field becomes a major problem. On the Moon a permanent ground-based station can be shielded by lunar materials against meteoroids and radiations. The radiobiological hazard, essentially linked to the solar flare risk during the transfer phase and the extra-station activities, may be solved by mission planning. For interplanetary flights the problem comes from both increased risk of solar events and from the continuous exposure to GCR. These energetic particles cannot be easily stopped by shieldings; cost considerations imply that more effective materials must be used. Impact on the vehicle design and the mission planning is important.     

基于蚁群优化-模拟退火的天地测控资源联合调度

研究了一类约束条件复杂、具有多时间窗口特性的天地测控资源联合调度问题。建立了涵盖多种约束的问题数学模型和基于测控弧段时间序的无圈有向图模型,提出了一种蚁群优化-模拟退火算法(ACO\|SA)求解问题。探讨了两种算法的融合策略,完成了包括状态转移规则、可行解生成策略、信息素更新准则、邻域结构、快速退火计划等关键技术的设计实现。多个算例仿真和结果分析表明,测控弧段时间序能保证ACO\|SA得到高质量的优化结果,模拟退火机制能有效提高蚁群优化算法的收敛速度和求解质量,相比于基本遗传算法和先到先服务算法,ACO\|SA能得到质量更好的解。     

Optimization of interplanetary trajectories for spacecraft with ideally regulated engines using the continuation method

The problem of optimization of interplanetary trajectories is considered for spacecraft with a small-thrust ideally regulated engine. When the maximum principle is used, determination of the optimal trajectory is reduced to solution of a two-point boundary value problem for a system of ordinary differential equations. In order to solve this boundary value problem, the method of continuation in parameter is used, and with the help of it the formal reduction of the boundary value problem to a Cauchy problem is performed. Different variants of the continuation method are considered, including the method of continuation in the gravitational parameter which allows one to find extreme trajectories with a preset angular distance. The issues of numerical realization of the continuation method are discussed, and numerical examples of its use for solving the problems of optimization of interplanetary trajectories are presented.     

Project of the space test&fitting-out dock for solar-powered electric propulsion on-board international space station

A concept of a universal fitting-out module applicable for space flight test of a solar-powered electric propulsion (EP) as well as for the assembly and deployment of small spacecraft (S/C) from the international space station (ISS) is proposed.     

天基为主的空间站测控通信模式

空间站时代为测控(TT&C)通信系统带来保障时间更长、覆盖要求更高、数据传输能力更强、航天员在轨工作生活体验更好等新的挑战,结合中继卫星系统(TDRSS)、卫星导航系统等天基测控通信手段的能力特点,提出以天基手段为主的解决方案,采用多星多舱段接力模式,将航天员出舱等重大活动的测控通信覆盖率提升至接近100%,采用多星多目标工作模式,较好地保障各种交会对接模式,综合利用中继卫星S频段多址(SMA)链路连续业务、短报文业务和北斗短报文业务常态化保障空间站安全运行,应用天地一体网络化技术,为航天员在轨上网、天地通信和载荷实验数据传输提供优质服务。     

European R&D in the satellite communication user Earth segment

This paper refers to a study (specificaly to its chapter 7)¹ carried out by Euroconsult for ESA on the key characteristics of European R&D in the satellite communications user Earth segment. The study was initiated by the Working Group on Satellite Communications Policy² of the Joint Board on Communications Satellite Programmes (JCB), which was established by the Director General of ESA in July 1990 to contribute to the European agency's response to the EC Green Paper. The working group specifically expresses the European space communications industry's point of view.     

Hardware/software integration & verification for the mobile servicing system of the international space station

The system architecture of the Mobile Service System (MSS) forms an integral part of the architecture of the International Space Station (ISS) in which elements interact through data components controlled by their respective element software. Tne element developers produce software components which, subsequent to being validated on their respective elements, are integrated and verified in test environments which are representative of the integrated MSS/ISS system. This is the classical method for integration and verification. If program software requirements are, for various reasons, slow to finalize, the software development process starts later than anticipated, and following the classical development/verification processes, could put the scheduled software deliveries at risk. A new approach to development and verification is needed which must encompass the entire software program from component unit software to fully integrated system software. This paper describes the approach which was taken to perform system hardware/software integration and verification with software components which were essentially incomplete, but were developed in a phased fashion, having mutually compatible functionality. The paper describes the MSS and ISS system architecture, the various software components and an overview of the original integration and verification plan. The paper will then describe the new integration approach which was developed, and discuss the evolution of the various software components in terms of functionality and their phased integration into a system. The paper will conclude by providing a summary of the results of the integration and verification activities, and demonstrate how delivery schedules for the integrated system software were met.     

行星际粒子统计特征及其在深空探测用器件失效概率预估中的应用

文章针对深空探测任务高能粒子辐射及所致器件失效定量评估问题,利用IMP-8在1973年—2001年的电子探测数据,统计了太阳电子事件通量的特征,证明事件通量符合对数正态分布。假设事件发生概率符合泊松分布,构建了行星际电子通量模型,再结合太阳质子通量模型、探测器轨道、行星际粒子在日球层的传播规律,得到不同置信度下空间粒子通量及其剂量。进一步结合器件累计失效剂量的试验数据,可定量评估器件失效概率。以一种典型的商用数据采集功能模块器件TL084和火星环绕探测任务为例,7个月转移轨道和3年火星轨道的任务期内,1 mm铝屏蔽下TL084的失效概率仅为1.01%。