Near term approach to data relay for satellites under test

The increasing need for a continuous communications link with U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) spacecraft during test missions in low Earth orbit (LEG) has resulted in greater interest in geosynchronous data relay services. This may be a more economical alternative to building additional remote tracking stations for the Air Force Satellite Control Network (AFSCN), and avoids tying up operational assets for a test mission. A low-cost near-term approach for such a space-based data relay system would utilize two existing Defense Satellite Communication System III spacecraft, two existing ground terminals, and a small, standardized terminal using autonomous antenna pointing for the space vehicle under test. Such a system design is presented     

Conception of spacecraft centralized power supply

A reliable power supply for spacecraft is one of the central problems determining the future development of space technology. The traditional solution to this problem implies having an autonomous power plant on board each spacecraft. The most widely used are power plants with solar cells. However, there exists an alternative power supply concept of using a centralized power supply system (CPSS) and power transmission to the user satellites by laser or microwave beams. Use of a CPSS has a number of advantages. In particular, it allows the spacecraft to increase power supply level and service life as well as to decrease the spacecraft mass and cost. However, it sets new physical and technical problems associated with long distance power transmission and requires some changes in spacecraft structure and concepts. The feasibility study of CPSS development and use has to rely on existing or firmly forecastable technologies. An attempt of such an analysis has been done by a group of scientists at Moscow State Aviation Institute during 1994-1996. The very first results have already been published. This paper discusses new results obtained lately regarding a space based CPSS     

Nontracking antenna performance for inertially controlled spacecraft using TDRSS

A series of tests to validate an antenna pointing concept for spin-stabilized satellites using a data relay satellite is described. These tests show that proper antenna pointing on an inertially stabilized spacecraft can lead to significant access time through the relay satellite even without active antenna pointing. We summarize the test results, the simulations to model the effects of antenna pattern and space loss, and the expected contact times. We also show how antenna beam width affects the results.     

ATS-6 Spacecraft Attitude Precision Pointing & Slewing Adaptive Control Experiment

The primary objective of the Spacecraft Attitude Precision Pointing and Slewing Adaptive Control (SAPPSAC) Experiment is to establish feasibility and evaluate capabilities of a ground-based spacecraft attitude control system, wherein RF command and telemetry links, together with a ground station on-line minicomputer, perform closed loop attitude control of the Applications Technology Satellite -6 (ATS-6). The ground processor is described, including operational characteristics and the controller software. Attitude maneuvers include precision pointing to fixed targets, slewing between targets, and generation of prescribed ground tracks. Test results show high performance and reliability for over 30 h of on-line control with no serious anomalies. Attitude stabilization relative to a prescribed target has been achieved to better than 0.007° in pitch and roll and 0.020° in yaw for a period of 43 min. Ground tracks were generated which had maximum latitude/longitude deviations less than 0.150 from reference.     

DF Vectoring: Application to Stationary Synchronous Satellites

Several methods of using an earth-based radio reference signal to determine the three-axis attitude of a synchronous satellite, and two types of spacecraft electronic systems (amplitude measurement and phase measurement), which obtain attitude and pointing information from the radio reference signal for orientating the spacecraft and for directing large-aperture antennas aboard the spacecraft are described. The earth-based radio reference signal also enables the electronic systems to determine angles to other ground stations with respect to fixed (reference) stations on the earth. These attitude- and angle-determining techniques are applicable to communications satellites, navigational satellites, and intersatellite data relay systems.     

ATS-6 Significance

The Applications Technology Satellite (ATS-6), the most powerful, most sophisticated, most versatile communications satellite flown to date, is the last of NASA's experimental satellites intended to demonstrate major advances in communications and spacecraft technology. It is a multipurpose, multidisciplinary spacecraft whose principal objectives were to demonstrate a large, unfurlable antenna structure and precise pointing and attitude control in the synchronous orbit The spacecraft carries 27 different experiments, 3 of which demonstrate users' applications of satellite communications. Significant advances in antenna technology, precise attitude control, materials technology, spacecraft structures, and thermal control have been successfully demonstrated. The most significant accomplishments of the ATS-6 mission are the demonstration of the practicality of satellite broadcasting to small, simple, inexpensive ground stations and the uses of this potential service in the solution of social problems involving education and health care. The success of these initial demonstrations has led ATS-6 experimenters and potential users to incorporate a Public Service Satellite Consortium dedicated to the provision of satellite broadcasting services for educational and health-care applications.     

光纤陀螺在宇航领域中的应用及发展趋势

光纤陀螺作为全固态惯性仪表,具有长寿命、高可靠和空间环境适应性好等显著优点,已广泛应用于国外各类宇航飞行器上。我国光纤陀螺的宇航应用起步于21世纪初,现已应用于导航卫星、通信卫星、遥感卫星、载人飞船、月球探测器等多种宇航飞行器上,对我国宇航飞行器性能的快速提升起到了重要的促进作用。主要介绍了国内外光纤陀螺宇航应用的情况,重点说明了目前几种主流光纤陀螺的技术方案,并对几种新型光纤陀螺(如光子晶体光纤陀螺)的宇航应用特点进行了分析。最后,从宇航应用的技术需求出发,指出了光纤陀螺宇航应用的几类关键技术和发展趋势。     

Robot-aided remote inspection experiment on STS-85

The results are presented for the robot-aided spacecraft inspection experiments using a flaw detection algorithm called multi-images overcast (MIO), which were conducted as an extension of NASDA's Manipulator Flight Demonstration mission installed on space shuttle mission STS-85. These experiments are the first step towards research and development of the Orbital Maintenance System to support space systems by inspecting satellites, deorbiting useless satellites, and repairing satellites in orbit to utilize space systems effectively and reliably.     

Singularity analysis for single gimbal control moment gyroscope system using space expansion method

Control Moment Gyroscope (CMG) is an effective candidate for agile satellites and large spacecraft attitude control because of its powerful torque amplification capability. The most serious situation, however, in using CMG is the inherent geometric singularity problem, where there’s no torque output along a particular direction. Space expansion method has been proposed in this work for the singularity analysis. Based on inverse mapping transformation, an expanded Jacobian matrix which is a full rank square matrix is obtained. The singular angle sets of the 3-parallel cluster and pyramid cluster are distinguished using space expansion method. An effective hybrid steering strategy, able to deal with the elliptic singularity, is further proposed. Simulation results demonstrate the excellent performance of the proposed steering logic compared to the generalized singular robust logic and pseudo inverse logic in terms of energy consumption and torque error.     

Review of in-space assembly technologies

With the rapid development of space technology and the increasing demand for space missions, the traditional spacecraft manufacturing, deployment and launch methods have been unable to meet existing needs. In-space assembly (ISA) technologies can effectively adapt to the assembly of large space structures, improve spacecraft performance, and reduce operating costs. In this paper, the development and technologies for ISA are reviewed. ISA is classified from multiple angles, and the research status of ISA is shown clearly through the visual mapping knowledge domain. Then the development status of autonomous robot assembly in the United States, Europe, Japan, Canada and China is reviewed. Furthermore, the key technologies of ISA are analyzed from three aspects: assembly structure design, robot technologies and integrated management technologies. ISA technologies are still facing major challenges and need to be further explored to promote future development. Finally, future development trends and potential applications of ISA are given, which show that ISA will play a vital role in human space exploration in the future.     

Three-Axes Attitude Determination of Spacecraft Using a Laser

A new method for attitude determination of spacecraft is proposed. The distinctive feature of this method is the ability to determine with high accuracy three elementary angles of the attitude by detection of the electromagnetic wave transmission from a single point. The system consists of a transmitter of a linearly polarized laser beam on the earth (or spacecraft) and receiving equipment on a relevant spacecraft. When the system is used for geosynchronous satellites, the possible accuracies of determination are 10-4 rad or higher for the angles which correspond to roll and pitch, and 10-2 rad or higher for the angle which corresponds to yaw, with the period of 1 s. The system margin for atmospheric attenuation is estimated to be about 50 dB (midnight) to about 20 dB (midday) on the basis of commercially available components. Consequently, it becomes possible to orient antennas or detectors toward arbitrary points around the laser transmitting point on the earth with a high pointing accuracy.     

Space Interferometry Mission spacecraft pointing error budgets

Preliminary error budgets for the pointing knowledge, control, and stability of the Space Interferometry Mission (SIM) spacecraft are constructed using the specifications of commercial off-the-shelf attitude determination sensors, attitude control actuators, and other spacecraft capabilities that have been demonstrated in past missions. Results obtained indicate that we can meet all the presently known spacecraft pointing requirements. A large number of derived requirements are generated from this study. Examples are specifications on attitude determination sensors, attitude control actuators, minimum settling time after a rest-to-rest spacecraft slew. Preliminary error budgets constructed in this study must be updated to reflect the changing spacecraft design and requirements     

Energy and power

Energy sources for aerospace systems include electrochemicals, mechanical rotation, solar illumination, radioisotopes, and nuclear reactors. Energy is converted to power with engines, turbines, photovoltaics, thermoelectric and thermionic devices, and electrochemical processes. Although some early spacecraft flew with battery power, for longer flights the choice has been either solar or nuclear. Manned spacecraft must have power for the total mission duration including boost into orbit, on-orbit, and subsequent re-entry. Batteries are too heavy for extended manned space missions; tradeoff study alternatives range from radioisotope heated thermionic converters to hyperbolic-fueled engines. Arrays of solar cells are the obvious choice for powering space stations and for other extended-duration missions. This article emphasizes developments for space and airplane power systems. Enabling technologies are described along with significant spin-offs and future systems     

On Attitude Estimation Schemes for Fine-Pointing Control

This paper studies single-axis equations of motion that are applicable to a spacecraft or to a space experiment pointing assembly whose motion has been perfectly isolated from the carrier vehicle. It considers four state estimators for implementation in the control loop for a stellar observation experiment. The first three estimators are very general and do not make use of input torque in their prediction models, while the proposed fourth estimator utilizes this information, It is shown via closed-loop covariance analysis that the best achievable pointing performance with the best of the first three estimators is limited to about 0.125 are-sec (rms) with the given rate-gyro and star-tracker inaccuracies. It is also shown that the fourth estimator has the capability of achieving a pointing performance far superior to the performance achievable using the first three estimators. The fourth estimator relies on the ability to accurately generate the desired control torque (i.e., low input noise).     

空间翻滚非合作目标消旋技术发展综述

大量残存太空的空间垃圾对在轨运行航天器的安全构成严重威胁,对其进行主动移除已迫在眉睫。火箭末级、失效卫星等非合作目标已失去姿态调整能力,且长期在失控状态下运行,受太阳光压、重力梯度等摄动力矩及失效前自身残余角动量等因素的影响往往会出现翻滚运动。对翻滚非合作目标直接捕获存在碰撞风险,为降低风险系数采取消旋后再捕获是较为合适的方式。在对火箭末级、失效卫星等典型非合作目标运动形式及消旋过程进行分析的基础上,综述了目前国内外所提出的接触式及非接触式消旋方法,并对非合作目标翻滚运动测量及动力学参数辨识和消旋控制这两项消旋共性关键技术进行了归纳总结。本综述将为中国空间碎片主动清除技术的发展提供有益参考。     

Spacecraft engineering and research at Saint Louis University

Parks College of Engineering and Aviation of Saint Louis University [1i] has a tradition of offering an outstanding aerospace engineering education to prepare students at the undergraduate and graduate level for careers in commercial aviation, defense systems, and space systems fields. Courses are offered across the engineering spectrum (aerospace, electrical and computer engineering, and physics departments) ranging from an introduction to aerospace engineering to spacecraft design, spacecraft communications, and space physics. Students participate in courses that include orbital mechanics, space dynamics, spacecraft engineering, and space systems. Senior capstone project work is also included. A separate Astronautics Engineering track as well as a Minor in Space Systems Engineering for non-aerospace engineering students is currently being developed. A, number of student-driven space systems projects are in process that involve design, development, and test of small satellites similar to those recently highlighted in the March 2009 Systems article entitled The First one Hundred University-Class Spacecraft 1981 - 2008. Reference [4] identifies student spacecraft launched over the past 27 years.     

空间星光测量技术研究发展综述

空间星光测量技术在航天器执行各类任务的过程中发挥着至关重要的作用。简要介绍了空间星光测量技术的基本概念，对典型的空间星光测量敏感器及其应用技术的研究进展进行了总结。通过对比国内外同类型敏感器的主要技术指标，评估了中国当前的研究水平以及与国外的差距。就空间星光测量技术目前存在的低频误差抑制与标校、亚角秒级动态测量精度以及极高精度目标指向测量等关键问题进行了初步分析与探讨。结合空间星光测量技术的研究进展与面临的挑战，对其发展趋势进行了展望，提出了高精度、高动态、多功能、智能化等未来重点研究方向。     

Radio science investigations with Voyager

The planned radio science investigations during the Voyager missions to the outer planets involve: (1) the use of the radio links to and from the spacecraft for occultation measurements of planetary and satellite atmospheres and ionospheres, the rings of Saturn, the solar corona, and the general-relativistic time delay for radiowave propagation through the Sun's gravity field; (2) radio link measurements of true or apparent spacecraft motion caused by the gravity fields of the planets, the masses of their larger satellites, and characteristics of the interplanetary medium; and (3) related measurements which could provide results in other areas, including the possible detection of long-wavelength gravitational radiation propagating through the Solar System. The measurements will be used to study: atmospheric and ionospheric structure, constituents, and dynamics; the sizes, radial distribution, total mass, and other characteristics of the particles in the rings of Saturn; interior models for the major planets and the mean density and bulk composition of a number of their satellites; the plasma density and dynamics of the solar corona and interplanetary medium; and certain fundamental questions involving gravitation and relativity. The instrumentation for these experiments is the same ground-based and spacecraft radio systems as will be used for tracking and communicating with the Voyager spacecraft, although several important features of these systems have been provided primarily for the radio science investigations.     

Space-based SSR constellation for global air traffic control

Advanced surveillance and communications are the main functions needed for an efficient Air Traffic Control/Management (ATC/ATM). In order to perform them over the entire Earth, a novel architecture is described and evaluated. It supplies the surveillance and data link capabilities of advanced Secondary Surveillance Radar (SSR) Mode S world-wide by means of a constellation of medium orbit satellites carrying SSR Mode S interrogators with phased-array antennas; no new equipment is required on-board aircraft, because the standard transponders are used. The rationale for the study, the system geometry, the link budget computation, the accuracy requirements as well as the subsequent design of the payload and of the optimized constellations needed for global coverage with high location accuracy are described. Moreover, details are given about the design of the spacecraft and of the main units of the space segment. The encouraging results of this overall system study pave the way to a demonstration based on simulators and ground prototypes of the critical parts