A geopause satellite system concept

The forthcoming 10 cm range tracking accuracy capability holds much promise in connection with a number of Earth and ocean dynamics investigations. These include a set of earthquake-related studies of fault motions and the Earth's tidal, polar and rotational motions, as well as studies of the gravity field and the sea surface topography which should furnish basic information about mass and heat flow in the oceans. The state of the orbit analysis art is presently at about the 10 m level, or about two orders of magnitude away from the 10 cm range accuracy capability expected in the next couple of years or so. The realization of a 10 cm orbit analysis capability awaits the solution of four kinds of problems, namely, those involving orbit determination and the lack of sufficient knowledge of tracking system biases, the gravity field, and tracking station locations. The Geopause satellite system concept offers promising approaches in connection with all of these areas. A typical Geopause satellite orbit has a 14 hour period, a mean height of about 4.6 Earth radii, and is nearly circular, polar, and normal to the ecliptic. At this height only a relatively few gravity terms have uncertainties corresponding to orbital perturbations above the decimeter level. The orbit s, in this sense, at the geopotential boundary, i.e., the geopause. The few remaining environmental quantities which may be significant can be determined by means of orbit analyses and accelerometers. The Geopause satellite system also provides the tracking geometery and coverage needed for determining the orbit, the tracking system biases and the station locations. Studies indicate that the Geopause satellite, tracked with a 2 cm ranging system from nine NASA affiliated sites, can yield decimeter station location accuracies. Five or more fundamental stations well distributed in longitude can view Geopause over the North Pole. This means not only that redundant data are available for determining tracking system biases, but also that both components of the polar motion can be observed frequently. When tracking Geopause, the NASA sites become a two-hemisphere configuration which is ideal for a number of Earth physics applications such as the observation of the polar motion with a time resolution of a fraction of a day. Geopause also provides the basic capability for satellite-to-satellite tracking of drag-free satellites for mapping the gravity field and altimeter satellites for surveying the sea surface topography. Geopause tracking a coplanar, drag-free satellite for two months to 0.03 mm per second accuracy can yield the geoid over the entire Earth to decimeter accuracy with 2.5° spatial resolution. Two Geopause satellites tracking a coplanar altimeter satellite can then yield ocean surface heights above the geoid with 7° spatial resolution every two weeks. These data will furnish basic boundary condition information about mass and heat flows in the oceans which are important in shaping weather and climate.     

自主机动条件下的实时定轨方法

中继卫星在跟踪自主机动用户目标时,由于机动轨道未知,需要利用中继卫星下传的星载GNSS(Global Navigations Satellite System,全球导航卫星系统)数据进行实时轨道确定与预报,为中继卫星跟踪提供实时的引导信息,以方便中继卫星快速捕获目标和连续稳定跟踪。针对该类用户目标的任务需求,讨论了基于星载GNSS数据自主机动条件下的实时定轨方法,建立了连续推力机动力学模型。以某一型号卫星的实测数据进行分析验证,并对轨道机动进行辨识,计算的机动加速度和机动时间与试验单位提供的结果一致。针对卫星不同机动情况,5min的观测数据定轨预报10min的弧段,最大位置误差小于8km,可以为中继卫星快速捕获提供高精度的引导信息。     

基于中继测量的环月探测器定轨能力分析

嫦娥四号月球探测拟首次实现月球背面的软着陆,测控与数传依赖地月L2平动点的中继卫星,并有望获取四程测量与星间测量数据。对基于中继测量的环月探测器测定轨能力进行了仿真分析,结果表明,中继卫星可较好地实现环月探测器连续跟踪;在定轨能力方面,中继卫星自身轨道精度是制约环月探测器定轨精度的重要因素,当跟踪弧段达到5h以上时,定轨精度趋于稳定,但轨道精度较中继卫星的轨道精度相差1个量级;对于星间链路测量,除中继卫星自身的轨道精度外,星钟的稳定性是制约定轨精度的另一个重要因素,如果辅助以每天1h的地基跟踪亦可实现优于百m的定轨精度。     

The OSIRIS-REx Radio Science Experiment at Bennu

The OSIRIS-REx mission will conduct a Radio Science investigation of the asteroid Bennu with a primary goal of estimating the mass and gravity field of the asteroid. The spacecraft will conduct proximity operations around Bennu for over 1 year, during which time radiometric tracking data, optical landmark tracking images, and altimetry data will be obtained that can be used to make these estimates. Most significantly, the main Radio Science experiment will be a 9-day arc of quiescent operations in a 1-km nominally circular terminator orbit. The pristine data from this arc will allow the Radio Science team to determine the significant components of the gravity field up to the fourth spherical harmonic degree. The Radio Science team will also be responsible for estimating the surface accelerations, surface slopes, constraints on the internal density distribution of Bennu, the rotational state of Bennu to confirm YORP estimates, and the ephemeris of Bennu that incorporates a detailed model of the Yarkovsky effect.     

Improvement of Satellite Tracking Accuracy Using Optical Observations

A method to improve satellite tracking accuracy is presented and discussed theoretically and experimentally in terms of two parts: correction for errors of the tracking system and correction of satellite orbit predictions. In the first part, it is concluded that the pointing error of the tracking system can be determined accurately using data from stellar observations, so that correction is possible with an accuracy of about 0.001°. In the second part, it is shown that apparent errors of satellite orbital elements can be deduced from the optical observation of one orbit, and one can track the satellite after the correction with high accuracy for several subsequent orbits. The accuracy is 0.1-0.2 mrad or better for satellites at 1000 km altitude when given orbit prediction accuracy is approximately 1°.     

Spacecraft orbit determination using GPS navigation solutions

The orbit determination using the GPS navigation solutions for the KOMPSAT-1 spacecraft has been studied. The Cowell method of special perturbation theories was employed to develop a precision orbit propagation, and the perturbations due to geopotential, the gravity of the Sun and the Moon, solid Earth tides, ocean tides, the Earth's dynamic polar motion, solar radiation pressure, and atmospheric drag were modeled. Specifically, the satellite box-wing macro model was applied to minimize the drag errors at low altitude. The estimation scheme consisted of an extended Kalman filter and Bayesian least square method. To investigate the applicability of the method to the KOMPSAT-1 spacecraft, the orbit determination was accomplished using the GPS navigation solutions for the TOPEX/POSEIDON and TAOS satellites. The orbit determination results were compared with NASA POE generated by global laser tracking. The position and velocity accuracy was estimated about 16∼7 m and 0.0157∼0.0074 m·s⁻¹ RMS, respectively, for the two satellites in the presence of SA. These results verify that an orbit determination scheme using GPS navigation solutions can provide the static orbit information and reduce conspicuously the position and velocity errors of navigation solutions. It can be suggested that the sequential and batch orbit determination using the GPS navigation solutions be the most appropriate method in the KOMPSAT-1 type mission.     

月球重力场模型误差对CE-5T1探测器定轨的影响

利用嫦娥五号再入返回飞行试验拓展任务期间获取的探测器(CE-5T1)实测数据,采用内符合方法比较了3种重力场模型的实测数据定轨结果,发现采用GRAIL(Gravity Recovery And Interior Laboratory,重力恢复与内部实验室)重力场模型进行定轨的结果最优。相比于之前的嫦娥系列探测器定轨常用的LP(Lunar Prospector,月球勘探者)重力场模型,采用GRAIL重力场模型定轨后测距数据的残差降低了1个量级。进一步采用不同重力场模型进行轨道外推,定量分析重力场模型对不同类型轨道的影响,结果表明,对于倾角为90°的环月极轨道,不同重力场模型的轨道外推结果差异较小;而对于倾角为20°和40°的环月轨道,不同重力场模型的外推星历的偏差均方根可达到2km,大于当前环月探测器的定轨精度。为此,建议在后续探月任务中使用GRAIL重力场模型进行轨道确定。     

月球重力场及低轨环月卫星轨道保持仿真分析

为了在满足精度要求的前提下节省月球重力场模型的计算时间,依据Kaula准则分析了目前国际上公认的最精确的两个重力场模型GLGM-2和LP165P,提出了在一定阶次截断重力场模型的问题.通过仿真不同阶次重力场模型作用下轨道高度为50 km的圆形极轨道环月卫星轨道特征的变化,验证了50 km以上高度卫星非球形摄动分析时可以将重力场模型截断至一定阶次的结论,并利用截断至70阶次的重力场模型仿真分析200 km圆轨道卫星一年内轨道下降程度.最后在仿真结果的基础上得到了200 km高度环月卫星需要每50天进行一次轨道保持控制的结论并完成一次轨道保持控制仿真.研究结论可以为我国低轨环月卫星轨道保持提供参考.     

Orbit Determination Accuracies Using Satellite-to-Satellite Tracking

The results are reported of the ATS-6/GEOS-3 and the ATS-6 NIMBUS-6 satellite-to-satellite orbit determination experiments. NASA intends to use the tracking data relay satellite system for operational orbit determination of NASA satellites. Hence, in the near future, satellite-to-satellite tracking data will be routinely processed to obtain orbits. The satellite-to-satellite tracking system used in the ATS-6/NIMBUS-6 and ATS-6/GEOS-3 experiments performed with a resolution of 1 to 2 m in range and less than 1 mm/s in range rate for a 10-s averaging. A Bayesian least squares estimation technique utilizing independent ranging to the synchronous relay satellite was determined to be the most effective procedure for estimating orbits from satellite-to-satellite tracking data. The use of this technique yields estimates of user satellite orbits which are comparable in accuracy to what is usually obtained from ground based systems.     

轨道预测辅助GPS载波跟踪技术用于低轨道卫星定位研究

针对低轨道卫星及其特定的运动环境,研究了星载GPS接收机载波跟踪问题。基于卫星轨道可模化、可预测的特性,提出了利用预测卫星轨道计算多普勒频移,并用于辅助载波环路跟踪的新方法。该方法有效地降低了低轨道卫星GPS信号跟踪中的动态,从而在跟踪过程中可以采取降低环路阶数、减小环路带宽、增加预检测积分时间这几种措施来提高环路跟踪弱信号的能力,有助于提高低轨道卫星的定位性能。     

低轨卫星对高轨卫星仅测角初轨计算方法

针对我国地面测站对高轨卫星监视能力缺乏的问题,提出一种低轨卫星对高轨卫星仅测角初轨计算方法。该算法引入天基跟踪坐标系,消除测距信息影响,建立仅测角观测方程;引入法向运动,增加摄动因素影响,建立扩展拉普拉斯动力学模型;推导分析观测模型和动力学模型的关系方程,将初轨计算问题转换为非线性方程求解问题,利用高斯全主元消去法完成方程求解。通过实战和仿真测角数据对方法进行检验,结果表明,该方法能利用仅测角数据对非合作目标进行初轨确定,精度在公里量级,可为我国地基监视系统提供补充参考。     

Global communication using a constellation of low Earth meridianorbits

The concept of meridian orbits is briefly reviewed. It is shown that, if a satellite in the meridian orbit makes an odd number (>1) of revolutions per day, then the satellite passes over the same set of meridians twice a day. Satellites in such orbits pass over the same portion of the sky twice a day and every day. This enables a user to adopt a programmed mode of tracking, thereby avoiding a computational facility for orbit prediction, look angle generation, and auto tracking. A constellation of 38 or more satellites placed in a 1200-km altitude circular orbit is favorable for global communications due to various factors. It is shown that appropriate phasing in right ascension of the ascending node and mean anomaly results in a constellation wherein each satellite appears over the user's horizon one satellite after another. Visibility and coverage plots are provided to verify the continuous coverage     

嫦娥二号再拓展试验测定轨精度研究

基于＂嫦娥二号＂卫星再拓展试验的设计轨道,研究各种摄动力对轨道确定精度的影响,得出的结论是：若要达到km量级的轨道确定精度,必须考虑除天王星和海王星之外所有大行星以及日月的质点引力。文章进一步利用数值分析法研究再拓展任务的轨道确定精度,分析结果表明：基于目前的测控条件,使用30 d以上的测轨弧段可以得到稳定可靠的轨道解,而短弧（小于20 d）稳定轨道的获取需要VLBI（甚长基线干涉）测轨数据支持;当＂嫦娥二号＂距离地球700万km时,测控精度可优于30 km;虽然每天测轨弧段的增加可以改善轨道精度,但是当增加到8 h以上时,定轨精度将不再有明显改善。     

Slowly varying bias of magnetometer based on orbit geometry

A new method is proposed to correct the induced magnetic disturbance using a set of measured magnetic field data from the three-axis-magnetometer on orbit. The magnetic field correction is based on the orbit geometry and its algorithm excludes the geomagnetic field model. The considered satellite is supposed to operate in the Earth-point mode and the Sun-point mode in accordance with the mission requirements. Particularly, the magnetic field correction is performed via static estimation based on an average method and dynamic estimation with an estimation law. Besides, the usefulness of the proposed method is investigated throughout both the simulation and the real telemetry data of KOMPSAT-1.     

顾及轨道误差的GNSS卫星钟差实时估计策略优化

为提高GNSS卫星钟差实时估计精度，针对GNSS各卫星系统的轨道差异，分析各系统卫星轨道误差对钟差估计的影响，基于距离函数线性化二阶残余项的思想，提出了一种顾及轨道误差的权函数模型，以优化实时卫星钟差估计策略。利用全球均匀分布的IGS和iGMAS跟踪站的实时观测数据进行实验，并与GBM的事后精密钟差进行对比分析。结果表明： GPS精度提高率为6.47%，BDS精度提高率为6.46%，GLONASS精度提高率为7.42%，Galileo精度提高率为7.62%。     

小卫星主动磁控制地球捕获姿态控制系统设计

分析了小卫星捕获阶段的客观条件要求,重力梯度杆的指向要求,捕获阶段视为大角度机动问题,采用欧拉动力学和四元数方法描述,建立小卫星捕获阶段的动力学模型。控制器采用大角度机动拟 PD控制,拟PD控制器参数采用了简化分析和经验调试设计,同时分析设计了磁力矩器的磁偶极子,最后给出某小卫星姿态捕获仿真结果,经过几个轨道周期后可以实现一定精度的对地捕获,验证了本文的设计方法的可行性。     

基于我国深空站三向测量模式的数据精度分析

为了验证我国深空站三向测量模式的正确性,以同步星跟踪试验中的测量数据为基础,建立了站间同步修正算法和三向测量观测模型,通过与同步卫星的精密星历反算测量值比较,得到了测量数据的标定参数,结果表明,我国深空站测控能够实现dm级的测量精度,明显优于“嫦娥二号”测量的水平;同时利用测量数据进行定轨策略分析,最终实现了10 m量级的同步卫星定轨精度.分析结果为“嫦娥三号”探测器实施有效测控提供了依据.     

Optical Calibration of Geostationary Satellite Tracking Systems

A precise calibration method for range and angle observation has been developed for eliminating the systematic error of tracking systems, thus improving the accuracy of orbit determination for geostationary satellites. The principle of calibration is based on an orbit determination employing a point of optical angle observation in addition to radio tracking observation, in which we estimate observation bias parameters simultaneously with orbital elements, including the effects of geodetic mismodelings. As shown by an actual calibration experiment in our ground station, orbit determinations is sufficiently accurate that the error of predicting satellite range falls within a few meters at four days after the day of orbit determination.     

面向导航增强的低轨卫星钟差确定及预报方法研究

低轨导航增强是未来导航发展的重要趋势,而高精度低轨卫星钟差是实现低轨导航增强的必要条件。基于Sentinel-6A卫星,对低轨卫星钟差特性进行了分析,给出了钟差确定方法及影响因素,介绍了顾及钟差特性的低轨卫星钟差预报方法。实验表明,低轨卫星钟差含有多个周期项,给低轨卫星建模和预报带来了困难。与使用运动学定轨模型相比,基于简化动力学的定轨模型可显著提升低轨卫星钟差精度;当基于运动学模型确定低轨卫星钟差时,相较于使用GPS单系统数据,多GNSS观测数据可提升低轨卫星钟差精度。研究表明,基于GPS和Galileo观测的Sentinel-6A卫星钟差精度相较于GPS单系统钟差精度改善了36%,同时,所使用的GNSS产品精度与低轨卫星钟差精度密切相关。利用顾及卫星钟差特性的低轨卫星钟差预报方法,当预报时长小于1 min,低轨卫星钟差预报精度（预报与解算值之差的RMSE）在0.1 ns之内,当预报时长小于5 min,预报精度在0.3 ns之内,随着预报时长的增长,预报精度显著下降。     

双星编队对空间非合作目标的仅测角跟踪方法

针对单星仅测角对目标跟踪误差较大和不良测量条件下跟踪精度下降的问题,提出利用编队卫星对非合作目标进行联合跟踪的方法。采用考虑地球非球形J2引力摄动的轨道动力学模型,建立多视线测量模型,融合编队卫星对目标的观测数据。然后,基于新息设计增益调节矩阵提高滤波器在测量故障条件下的鲁棒性。最后,建立仿真模型进行验证。仿真结果表明,相比单星跟踪,该方法的位置误差和速度误差分别减少了27.06%和26.96%。在系统存在异常量测时,相比常规滤波,该方法也具有更高的精确性和更好的鲁棒性。