A robust star identification algorithm with star shortlisting

A star tracker provides the most accurate attitude solution in terms of arc seconds compared to the other existing attitude sensors. When no prior attitude information is available, it operates in “Lost-In-Space (LIS)” mode. Star pattern recognition, also known as star identification algorithm, forms the most crucial part of a star tracker in the LIS mode. Recognition reliability and speed are the two most important parameters of a star pattern recognition technique. In this paper, a novel star identification algorithm with star ID shortlisting is proposed. Firstly, the star IDs are shortlisted based on worst-case patch mismatch, and later stars are identified in the image by an initial match confirmed with a running sequential angular match technique. The proposed idea is tested on 16,200 simulated star images having magnitude uncertainty, noise stars, positional deviation, and varying size of the field of view. The proposed idea is also benchmarked with the state-of-the-art star pattern recognition techniques. Finally, the real-time performance of the proposed technique is tested on the 3104 real star images captured by a star tracker SST-20S currently mounted on a satellite. The proposed technique can achieve an identification accuracy of 98% and takes only 8.2?ms for identification on real images. Simulation and real-time results depict that the proposed technique is highly robust and achieves a high speed of identification suitable for actual space applications.     

弹载捷联星敏感器强光规避策略及算法

星敏感器光学系统及成像阵列易受太阳和月亮强光干扰.针对弹载捷联星敏感器提出一种规避强光的解析几何方法.通过天文公式解算出观星时刻太阳、月亮矢量,将其转换到当地地理坐标系下;将太阳、月亮方位、地心指向和星敏感器圆视场的几何分布关系划分为3种类型,并结合星敏感器遮光罩太阳月亮规避角参数,分别建立矢量公式求解星敏感器光轴的指令指向;利用STK仿真软件进行算法验证,选择任意时间段并设定星敏感器光轴指向,经本算法解算的光轴指令指向均可成功规避太阳月亮和地平.该算法可实现星敏感器光学系统的自主保护、观星窗口的选择,可以通过姿态机动实现太阳和月亮的规避和有效星光观测.     

一种强散射杂光下的快速星点提取算法

火工品爆破法实现星箭分离时产生大量灰尘颗粒,星敏感器被强散射杂光干扰,导致上电初期,星敏感器长时间停留在全天球模式,无法实现姿态捕获.本文通过对散射杂光成像进行建模和分析,提出杂光条件下的星点图像与无杂光时的星点图像具有近似的能量分布特征,进而提出一种基于互相关系数的快速星点提取算法,可在强散射杂光条件下快速提取出有效的星点窗口图像,然后利用窗口提星算法提取出有效星点,最终实现快速姿态捕获.开展了不同杂光条件下的星点提取和姿态识别仿真,通过本文算法与原有算法做对比,验证了本文算法在不同工况下的星点提取能力和姿态捕获方面均具有优势.     

基于精密时间的星敏感器绝对姿态基准的建立

根据星敏感器外场试验的实际需要,提出一种用于建立星敏感器参考姿态基准的方法.介绍星敏感器参考姿态基准建立的基本原理;分别求取从赤道惯性坐标系i系到地球坐标系w系的转换矩阵Cw1（依靠原子钟精密计时）、从w系到地理坐标系t系的转换矩阵Ctw、从t系到平台坐标系p系的转换矩阵Cpt,从p系到星敏感器坐标系s系的转换矩阵Csp,从而得到i系到s系的转化矩阵Cs1;根据Csi求取星敏感器的姿态角,作为参考姿态基准;编制求解星敏感器参考姿态基准的电算化程序,并绘制星敏感器3个姿态角的误差曲线,最大误差小于0.25″.仿真结果表明,通过精密时间得到的姿态可以作为星敏感器外场试验的参考姿态基准.     

APS星敏感器太阳照射影响分析及试验验证

针对APS星敏感器在轨过程中太阳照射问题进行了研究,分析了太阳照射对星敏感器功能和性能的影响,设计了太阳照射相关的试验及验证方案,最后给出了相关试验过程和试验验证结果,明确了分析及试验结论.通过分析和试验结果表明:紫外辐照试验对光学系统透过率无明显影响,且影响在APS星敏感器灵敏度余量范围内;在轨太阳照射对APS星敏感器探测器及整机的功能和性能无影响.相关分析和试验数据可作为星敏感器后续改进设计的依据和参考.     

近地卫星利用光学敏感器的自主导航方法

基于光学敏感器的卫星自主导航技术是利用红外地球敏感器（IRES）和星敏感器（ST）等姿态测量部件提供的测量信息,通过计算含有轨道信息的星光角距和地球视半径角,修正由轨道动力学模型递推得到的轨道参数。通过系统状态模型和观测模型的离散化和线性化,得到扩展卡尔曼滤波算法的递推关系,并在此基础上进行数学仿真。仿真结果表明,该方法的收敛速度和收敛精度都比较好。由于该方法不需要增加额外的星载敏感器,因此具有很好的应用前景。     

一种基于连续星图观测的自旋姿态估计方法

传统的利用地球敏感器和太阳敏感器作为测量仪器的自旋卫星姿态确定方法存在系统误差和安装误差等,从而导致自旋姿态确定误差较大的问题,文章提出了一种利用星敏感器获取的连续星图估计卫星自旋姿态参数的新方法。该方法以卫星的自旋轴和旋转角速度作为状态变量,通过星敏感器连续跟踪拍摄的恒星的成像位置作为观测量,利用无迹卡尔曼滤波估计出卫星的自旋姿态参数。仿真结果表明,在星敏感器的精度为3″时,该方法的自旋轴估计精度为0.3448″,自旋角速度估计精度为10^-4(°)/s数量级。     

Upgrade of the GOCE Level 1b gradiometer processor

This paper describes the upgrade of the GOCE Level 1b gradiometer processing as part of ESA’s Payload Data Segment (PDS). Four processing steps have been identified which can be improved: 1. The optimal determination of the angular rates of the satellite, based on a combination of star sensor and gradiometer data. This is the so-called angular rate reconstruction. 2. The optimal determination of the spacecraft’s attitude, again based on a combination of star sensor and gradiometer data. 3. The combination of data of all simultaneously available star sensors. And, 4. the calibration of the measured accelerations is improved by taking the time dependence of selected calibration parameters into account.     

多探头星敏感器分布式视场融合方法

为了解决单探头星敏感器三轴姿态精度不一致问题,提高数据更新率和实时性,提出了多探头分布式视场融合方法。该方法通过控制各探头等时间间隔曝光,将相邻时刻曝光的2个探头的观测星矢量信息进行时间配准、空间配准,之后进行视场融合并采用QUEST算法解算姿态。仿真试验表明,该方法可将光轴方向精度提高8~9倍,同时可将数据更新率提高3倍以上,从而提高了系统的实时性。     

高动态EMCCD星敏感器总体参数设计方法

从高动态星敏感器动态性能需求出发,分析了电子倍增型电荷耦合器件（EMCCD,electron multiplying CCD）噪声来源,推导恒星探测中EMCCD的信噪比公式.针对EMCCD总体参数设计优化问题,提出了EMCCD中电子倍增电压和致冷温度的设计方法,并应用该方法进行高动态星敏感器中EMCCD总体参数设计及仿真.仿真结果表明,角速度为10（°）/s时姿态测量精度优于30″.提出的EMCCD参数确定方法可以为高动态星敏感器设计提供参考.     

Fault tolerant small satellite attitude control using adaptive non-singular terminal sliding mode

The Attitude Control System (ACS) plays a pivotal role in the whole performance of the spacecraft on the orbit; therefore, it is vitally important to design the control system with the performance of rapid response, high control precision and insensitive to external perturbations. In the first place, this paper proposes two adaptive nonlinear control algorithms based on the sliding mode control (SMC), which are designed for small satellite attitude control system. The nonlinear dynamics describing the attitude of small satellite is considered in a circle reference orbit, and the stability of the closed-loop system in the presence of external perturbations is investigated. Then, in order to account for accidental or degradation fault in satellite actuators, the fault-tolerant control schemes are presented. Hence, two adaptive fault-tolerant control laws (continuous sliding mode control and non-singular terminal sliding mode control) are developed by adopting the nonlinear analytical model to describe the system, which can guarantee global asymptotic convergence of the attitude control error with the existence of unknown external perturbations. The nonlinear hyperplane based Terminal sliding mode is introduced into the control law design; therefore, the system convergence performance improves and the control error is convergent in “finite time”. As a result, the study on the non-singular terminal sliding mode control is the emphasis and the continuous sliding mode control is used to compare with the non-singular terminal sliding mode control. Meanwhile, an adaptive fuzzy algorithm has been proposed to suppress the chattering phenomenon. Moreover, several numerical examples are presented to demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed controllers by correcting for the external perturbations. Simulation results confirm that the suggested methodologies yield high control precision in control. In addition, actuator degradation, actuator stuck and actuator failure for a period of time are simulated to demonstrate the fault recovery capability of the fault tolerant controllers. The numerical results clearly demonstrate the good performance of the adaptive non-singular terminal control in the event of actuator fault compare with the continuous sliding mode control.     

星敏感器导航星表建立

导航星表是星敏感器系统用来实现恒星星图识别和姿态确定的唯一依据,它的容量、内容、存储读取方式对于完成星敏感器功能和性能指标都极为重要．通过分析恒星在视场中的分布规律,建立起星表的完备性和冗余性与星敏感器视场内导航星的数量之间的关系,确定了导航星数量,提出了筛选导航星的原则和方法,为了实现星表的快速搜索,对导航星表的组织形式进行了详细讨论．构造一个由2510颗0～6等导航星组成的导航星表,满足了星敏感器星图识别和姿态确定的需求．     

基于地标信息的星敏感器低频误差标定方法

针对星敏感器及其安装结构热变形等因素引起的星敏感器低频误差(LFE)影响卫星姿态确定精度的问题,提出了根据有效载荷提供的地标信息,采用最小二乘算法标定星敏感器低频误差的方法.考虑到卫星姿态确定系统是为有效载荷服务的,为了使卫星姿态确定系统输出的姿态信息与有效载荷相一致,从而准确反映有效载荷的指向变化情况,星敏感器低频误差的标定以有效载荷提供的地标信息为观测量进行.仿真结果表明,所提方法能够有效减弱星敏感器低频误差对卫星姿态确定精度的影响,从而提高卫星姿态确定精度.     

确定无陀螺卫星姿态的二阶非线性滤波算法研究

应用基于二阶泰勒级数近似得到的非线性滤波技术，设计了利用星敏感器矢量观测信息确定无陀螺三轴稳定卫星姿态的二阶非线性滤波算法，结合矢量观测的特点，分别讨论了单矢量观测信息与多矢量观测信息的处理方法，并把QUEST算法作为矢量观测数据压缩技术有效地结合进姿态估计器中，使得多矢量观测情况下的滤波修正算法得到了简化，仿真测试结果证明，二阶非线性姿态估计器的滤波性能要优于的扩展卡尔曼滤波姿态估计算法。     

Validation of GOCE densities and evaluation of thermosphere models

Atmospheric densities from ESA’s GOCE satellite at a mean altitude of 270 km are validated by comparison with predictions from the near real time model HASDM along the GOCE orbit in the time frame 1 November 2009 through 31 May 2012. Except for a scale factor of 1.29, which is due to different aerodynamic models being used in HASDM and GOCE, the agreement is at the 3% (standard deviation) level when comparing daily averages. The models NRLMSISE-00, JB2008 and DTM2012 are compared with the GOCE data. They match at the 10% level, but significant latitude-dependent errors as well as errors with semiannual periodicity are detected. Using the 0.1 Hz sampled data leads to much larger differences locally, and this dataset can be used presently to analyze variations down to scales as small as 150 km.     

High-fidelity geometry models for improving the consistency of CHAMP,GRACE, GOCE and Swarm thermospheric density data sets

During the last two decades, accelerometers on board of the CHAMP, GRACE, GOCE and Swarm satellites have provided high-resolution thermosphere density data to improve our knowledge on atmospheric dynamics and coupling processes in the thermosphere-ionosphere region. Most users of the data have focused on relative density variations. Scale differences between datasets and models have been largely neglected or removed using ad hoc scale factors. The origin of these scale differences arises from errors in the aerodynamic modelling, specifically in the modelling of the satellite outer surface geometry and of the gas-surface interactions. Therefore, the first step to remove the scale differences is to enhance the geometry modelling. This work forms the foundation for the future improvement of characterization of satellite aerodynamics and gas-surface interactions models at TU Delft, as well as for extending the use of sideways and angular accelerations in the aerodynamic analysis of accelerations and derivation of thermosphere datasets. Although work to improve geometry and aerodynamic force models by other authors has focused on CHAMP and GRACE, this paper includes the GOCE and Swarm satellites as well. In addition, it uses a density determination algorithm that is valid for arbitrary attitude orientations, enabling a validation making use of attitude manoeuvres. The results show an improvement in the consistency of density data between these four missions, and of data obtained before, during and after attitude manoeuvres of CHAMP and Swarm. The new models result in larger densities, compared to the previously used panel method. The largest average rescaling of density, by switching to the new geometry models is reached for Swarm at 32%, the smallest for GRACE at 5%. For CHAMP and GOCE, mean differences of 11% and 9% are obtained respectively. In this paper, an overview of the improvements and comparisons of data sets is provided together with an introduction to the next research phase on the gas-surface interactions.     

近地空间短波红外恒星探测信噪比分析方法

针对星敏感器在近地空间导航应用需求,开展了短波红外恒星探测信噪比分析方法研究。基于恒星目标与天空背景辐射特性,构建了恒星探测信噪比模型,并结合光学系统及图像传感器参数完成了仿真试验。结果表明,同一星等及太阳天顶角下,Ks波段下的恒星探测信噪比最大,H波段次之,J波段最小;同一太阳天顶角及波段下,星等越小,恒星探测信噪比越大;同一星等及波长下,太阳天顶角越大,即恒星与太阳之间角距越大,恒星探测信噪比越大。本文可为新一代近地空间全天时星敏感器系统的方案设计、指标论证、评估应用提供可靠的理论方法与技术支持。     

多曝光星敏感器的全运动参数建模及优化设计

多曝光成像方法是一种有效提升星敏感器姿态更新率的技术,但该方法随着运动角速度及角加速度增大,相邻星点轨迹的交叉概率显著增大,严重影响其提升性能。为了解决上述问题,建立了基于星敏感器全运动参数的星点成像位置模型,并据此确定了星点在工作周期内的运动位移。根据该模型,对交叉概率与全运动参数、焦距、星点位置等的关系进行了仿真,并确定了全运动参数的极限安全值为角速度ω≤26.4（°）/s,角加速度α≤5（°）/s2。外场观星实验充分验证了所提方法的有效性。      

航天器应急姿态捕获中GPS信号的应用

星载全球定位系统（GPS）卫星接收机在测量接收各GPS卫星信号时,可同时得到接收信号的信号强度测量辅助数据E。理论分析表明,接收信号的强度E与信号入射天线的法向夹角α强相关。如建立E与α稳定的先验模型,E就可以作为测量值,计算入射天线的角度α。在同一时刻,通过三个以上GPS卫星信号入射天线的角度α,可计算星载GPS卫星接收机接收天线的空间姿态。确定姿态的精度取决于E与α相关先验模型的稳定性。利用CHAMP卫星星载接收机在轨实测数据检验,估算的初始姿态精度为2°~3°。该方法可作为航天器故障状态下应急姿态捕获的一种辅助手段,也可为携带星载GPS而无高精度定姿要求的简易航天器提供一种新的无附加成本的定姿途径。