Confluence of navigation, communication, and control in distributedspacecraft systems

This research details the development of technologies and methodologies that enable distributed spacecraft systems by supporting integrated navigation, communication, and control. Operating at the confluence of these critical functions produces capabilities needed to realize the promise of distributed spacecraft systems, including improved performance and robustness relative to monolithic space systems. Navigation supports science data association and data alignment for distributed aperture sensing, multipoint observation, and co-observation of target regions. Communication enables autonomous distributed science data processing and information exchange among space assets. Both navigation and communication provide essential input to control methods for coordinating distributed autonomous assets at the interspacecraft system level and the intraspacecraft affector subsystem level. A technology solution to implement these capabilities, the Crosslink Transceiver, is also described. The Crosslink Transceiver provides navigation and communication capability that can be integrated into a developing autonomous command and control methodology for distributed spacecraft systems. A small satellite implementation of the Crosslink Transceiver design is detailed and its ability to support broad distributed spacecraft mission classes is described     

ACE Spacecraft

The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (JHU/APL) was responsible for the design and fabrication of the ACE spacecraft to accommodate the ACE Mission requirements and for the integration, test, and launch support for the entire ACE Observatory. The primary ACE Mission includes a significant number of science instruments - nine - whose diverse requirements had to be factored into the overall spacecraft bus design. Secondary missions for monitoring space weather and measuring launch vibration environments were also accommodated within the spacecraft design. Substantial coordination and cooperation were required between the spacecraft and instrument engineers, and all requirements were met. Overall, the spacecraft was kept as simple as possible in meeting requirements to achieve a highly reliable and low-cost design. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

分离模块航天器研究综述

对分离模块航天器产生的背景及概念进行了阐述和分析,介绍了包括F6系统、天基群组系统、SkyLAN（空间局域网）等在内的几种主要分离模块航天器系统,并在此基础上归纳总结出了分离模块航天器在同轨多模块系统设计、功能系统设计、信息交互技术、队形保持重组及功能适变技术、无线信息传输技术、分布式天线技术等方面的技术特点及难点,最后讨论了分离模块航天器进一步的研究方向和发展前景。     

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.     

An approach to forming the design performance of the attitude control system for small spacecraft

The elements for various types of attitude control systems used in a number of small spacecraft are considered. An approach for assessment of such system effectiveness based on design requirements for spacecraft purpose and restriction in accuracy, mass and energy is proposed.     

卫星轨道变化规律的综合分析

对于航天工程而言,无论是航天器的发射,卫星轨道设计,地面测控系统的跟踪、定轨和预报．还是卫星在轨运行过程中的轨道控制策略等,均需了解卫星轨道变化的规律。为此,本文对人造卫星(包括中心天体为快自转天体和慢自转天体两种引力源的绕飞轨道器)的轨道变化特征以及轨道寿命进行系统的综合分析。为各种应用提供简明信息。     

Design and testing of spacecraft power systems using VTB

A study is presented on the design and testing of spacecraft power systems using the virtual test bed (VTB). The interdisciplinary components such as solar array and battery systems were first modeled in native VTB format and validated by experiment data. The shunt regulator and battery charge controller were designed in Simulink according to the system requirements and imported to VTB. Two spacecraft power systems were then designed and tested together with the control systems.     

我国空间站运行的测控通信工作模式初探

在分析我国载人空间站在轨运行的任务特点和对测控通信提出的新要求的基础上,对测控通信工作模式进行了探讨。针对任务中心,采用分布式模式进行任务的组织和实施,建立常态化工作体系;针对测控通信资源的使用,对资源进行简化、优化,发挥天、地基各自优势,并实现天地基资源统一调度;针对在轨故障诊断和应急处置,提出了“天地联合,以地为主”的载人航天故障诊断模式和实现途径;针对空间站遥操作需求,提出了一套工作模式和实施流程;针对测控通信长期执行任务的可靠性,提出了任务中心容灾备份工作模式和通信路由的备份模式。以期为后续任务工作模式设计提供参考。     

Attitude coordination for spacecraft formation with multiple communication delays

Communication delays are inherently present in information exchange between spacecraft and have an effect on the control performance of spacecraft formation. In this work, attitude coordination control of spacecraft formation is addressed, which is in the presence of multiple communication delays between spacecraft. Virtual system-based approach is utilized in case that a constant reference attitude is available to only a part of the spacecraft. The feedback from the virtual systems to the spacecraft formation is introduced to maintain the formation. Using backstepping control method, input torque of each spacecraft is designed such that the attitude of each spacecraft converges asymptotically to the states of its corresponding virtual system. Furthermore, the backstepping technique and the Lyapunov–Krasovskii method contribute to the control law design when the reference attitude is time-varying and can be obtained by each spacecraft. Finally, effectiveness of the proposed methodology is illustrated by the numerical simulations of a spacecraft formation.     

航天器控制系统智能健康管理技术发展综述

健康管理作为智能自主控制亟待突破的关键技术之一,是提升航天器安全可靠稳定运行能力的有效手段。结合人工智能技术的发展趋势,基于前期已建立的新型航天器智能自主控制系统通用架构,详细综述航天器控制系统的智能健康管理技术现状与发展趋势。首先,根据现有航天器设计、研制和在轨的具体情况,梳理出航天器控制系统健康管理技术所面临的挑战;然后,分别从故障预警、故障诊断和寿命评估3个方面,详细阐述基于人工智能的健康管理技术研究现状及其在航天领域的应用情况;最后,提炼出航天器控制系统健康管理技术的发展方向。     

基于航天测控的实时仿真系统设计

航天器发射试验具有高风险性,而承担航天器测控的测控系统规模庞大、关系复杂,其测控设备、软件的正确性关系到试验成败。仿真技术的广泛应用,使设备、软件的正确性在发射任务前就可以得到充分验证,从而提高发射试验的安全性。以航天器试验任务为背景设计的实时仿真系统,在航天测量船上得到了成功应用,取得了良好的效果。     

Optimal Estimation and Attitude Control of a Solar Electric Propulsion Spacecraft

Established procedures of linear, quadratic, Gaussian optimal estimation and control are developed and interpreted for their application ion to the problem of attitude control of spacecraft with dycallyamially significant elastic appendages. Results are presented both in general terms and for specific application to a solar electric spacecraft. aft. Comparisons are made between alternative coordinattems, systems, and a realistic range of design parameters is considered. For single axis control, system evaluation is accomplished by simulation of a fifteenth-order spacecraft plant with alternative second-order, fourth-order, and sixth-order constant gain estimators. Results point out the importance of modeling errors.     

基于模型的载人航天器研制方法研究与实践

载人航天器具有系统规模大、技术难度高、单件小批量、无法通过多次飞行持续完善设计、可靠性要求高等特点。当前载人航天器研制中仍存在着参数化和模型化程度不高、基于模型的系统综合仿真验证不足、研制各环节缺乏数字化集成等问题，传统基于文本的系统工程方法已无法满足研制需求，亟需采用基于模型的系统工程方法。本文针对载人航天器的研制现状和应用需求，提出了面向载人航天器全生命周期的模型体系，定义了需求模型、功能模型、产品模型、工程模型、制造模型、实做模型等六类模型，提出了基于模型的研制流程，包含系统设计闭环验证、产品设计闭环验证、实做产品闭环验证3个验证环节，并深入探索了各研制环节中不同模型间的传递与关联关系。以某型号载人航天器为应用基础，系统地验证了提出的方法。     

中国航天器新型热控系统构建进展评述

热控是由工程热物理与航天技术相互促进发展而形成的一门交叉学科,直接影响着航天器的总体设计水平。随着中国航天事业的飞速发展,对热控设计提出了越来越高的要求,并已成为制约中国航天器设计水平的关键瓶颈技术之一。本文综合评述了中国航天器新型热控系统构建的最新研究成果和进展,具体包括：针对载人航天、探月工程等不同任务需求,构建出了相应的新型热控系统,开发出了以泵驱单相流体回路、重力驱动两相流体回路、环路热管与水升华器等为代表的一批新型热控产品。在此基础上,结合中国航天工程实际需求,指出了今后的主要研究方向。     

The design of a nuclear power supply with a 50 year lifeexpectancy: the JPL Voyager's SiGe MHW RTG

Between 25 and 30 years ago, the IECEC Proceedings carried a series of papers by the present authors and other members of a JPL team on the problems and the desirable design features associated with the MHW RTGs to be used to power JPL's Voyager I and II spacecraft. The Voyager I and II spacecraft successfully completed their original 12 year missions 10 years ago and are at distances of over 55 AU and 70 AU from the sun. The power systems worked almost precisely as predicted. The Voyager spacecraft seem to have several decades of life left to make measurements outside the solar system. This paper gives a technical overview of the design process and problems     

A Comparison of Solar-Cell and Battery-Type Power System for Spacecraft

The electrical power systems of orbiting unmanned spacecraft generally consist of energy-conversion devices in combination with energy-storage and conditioning components. The development of efficient pulse-duration modulation regulators suggests configurations smaller, lighter, and cheaper than conventional dissipative voltage regulators. These savings may or may not be realizable, depending upon the system reliability design goal and amount of redundancy required to meet the goal. Three spacecraft electrical power systems, each containing a solar-cell energy converter and using different voltage regulation schemes, are compared for a common mission specification. Each system is made to meet a given reliability goal by a technique that adds redundant components in a manner that minimizes a system design characteristic such as weight. The reliability design goal is kept constant as mission length is increased, permitting system comparison in terms of weight and cost as a function of time.     

The New Horizons Spacecraft

The New Horizons spacecraft was launched on 19 January 2006. The spacecraft was designed to provide a platform for seven instruments designated by the science team to collect and return data from Pluto in 2015. The design meets the requirements established by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Announcement of Opportunity AO-OSS-01. The design drew on heritage from previous missions developed at The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) and other missions such as Ulysses. The trajectory design imposed constraints on mass and structural strength to meet the high launch acceleration consistent with meeting the AO requirement of returning data prior to the year 2020. The spacecraft subsystems were designed to meet tight resource allocations (mass and power) yet provide the necessary control and data handling finesse to support data collection and return when the one-way light time during the Pluto fly-by is 4.5 hours. Missions to the outer regions of the solar system (where the solar irradiance is 1/1000 of the level near the Earth) require a radioisotope thermoelectric generator (RTG) to supply electrical power. One RTG was available for use by New Horizons. To accommodate this constraint, the spacecraft electronics were designed to operate on approximately 200 W. The travel time to Pluto put additional demands on system reliability. Only after a flight time of approximately 10 years would the desired data be collected and returned to Earth. This represents the longest flight duration prior to the return of primary science data for any mission by NASA. The spacecraft system architecture provides sufficient redundancy to meet this requirement with a probability of mission success of greater than 0.85. The spacecraft is now on its way to Pluto, with an arrival date of 14 July 2015. Initial in-flight tests have verified that the spacecraft will meet the design requirements.     

基于浸入与不变理论的航天器姿态跟踪自适应控制

针对惯性参数不确定的航天器姿态跟踪控制问题，基于浸入与不变（I&I）方法设计出了一种新的姿态跟踪控制器。研究结果表明，传统的浸入与不变方法运用到姿态跟踪模型，存在参数回归矩阵不可积进而导致偏微分方程无解析解的问题。针对该问题，提出了一种对回归矩阵改造使其满足可积条件的方法，通过动态放缩技术消除了回归矩阵改造前后的差异对闭环系统稳定性的影响，设计出了一种新的航天器姿态跟踪自适应控制器。通过李雅普诺夫稳定性分析方法证明了所设计的控制器能够保证闭环系统的全局渐近稳定性。相对于已有的基于动态放缩法的浸入与不变控制器，设计了一种全新的缩放因子，使得控制器的执行不需要缩放因子的信息，并且也不需要惯量矩阵的先验信息。最后，仿真对比实验进一步验证了所设计控制器的有效性和优越性。