数据中继卫星系统的研制与分析

在简述数据中继卫星系统发展历史的基础上,论述了它的突出优点和相应的对用．户航天器的要求,重点剖析了研制中继卫星带来的共性难点和在总体设计上的特殊性,介绍了中国数据中继卫星的发展历程、应用范围,并对我国数据中继卫星的发展进行了展望。     

卫星跟踪卫星应用于月球重力场探测的模拟研究

月球卫星跟踪卫星技术作为月球和行星重力场探测的一种解决方案已经初步研究和讨论。文章引入已有的解析方法在理论上分析卫星间精密测距与月球重力场信号的频率响应关系,并通过模拟计算,以分析月球卫星跟踪卫星方法应用于月球重力场探测的可行性和恢复重力场的能力。由于月球卫星跟踪卫星方法是目前解决远月面重力探测最有潜力的方法之一,且已为一些月球探测计划采用,而我国的月球探测计划也同样面,临远月面探测的难题,文章的研究成果可为我国月球和行星重力场的探测提供参考。     

航天电子对抗星间天线捕获跟踪技术研究

随着卫星通信技术的发展,星间链路作为传输航天器控制指令信息和遥感数据的通道,应用越来越普遍。星间天线对信号的扫描捕获跟踪是星间链路接收的首要条件。针对航天电子对抗星间天线捕获跟踪的需求,对天线扫描捕获方法进行了研究,给出了仿真分析结果和参数选用建议。     

我国跟踪与数据中继卫星星间链路通信频段选择研究

文章从国内用户需求、国际发展趋势、转发器和天线研制难度、仪器及无器件配套等方面，对我国中继卫星星间链路的频段选择进行了研究，并提出了相应的建议。     

国外卫星星座自主运行技术发展综述

综述国外卫星星座自主运行技术的研究和发展情况,重点介绍了导航星座、移动通信星座和区域覆盖星座的自主导航和自主轨道控制技术的发展现状,并对实现星座自主控制的关键技术进行了分析。这为我国发展星座自主控制技术提供参考。     

静止轨道卫星姿态偏置对天线方向图影响的分析

地球静止轨道（GEO）卫星通常具备滚动、俯仰姿态偏置能力,即卫星滚动或俯仰姿态控制目标角度不是0°,而是某一设定角度,以便卫星定点位置改变时也能确保天线方向图覆盖满足要求。文章对某GEO卫星姿态偏置后对天线方向图及卫星其它性能的影响进行了分析,给出了卫星姿态偏置情况下天线覆盖区域的计算方法,在计算时考虑了卫星轨道倾角的影响。分析结果表明：由于卫星天线方向图设计时均有一定的设计裕度,卫星定点位置发生变化时,通过进行姿态偏置,可使其天线方向图满足用户使用要求,卫星在轨测试及运行结果也验证了这一结论。     

星间天线捕获与跟踪策略

针对中继卫星星间Ka频段和S频段单址链路（KSA/SSA）天线和卫星运行轨道的特点,分析给出了KSA/SSA星间天线的跟踪模式和使用准则。详细分析和比较了方形、六边形、同心圆和阿基米德螺旋线扫描等几种天线扫描捕获方式,给出了适合星间天线使用的天线扫描捕获方式。并对影响链路捕获时间、捕获概率的关键参数给出了选择原则、计算公式和仿真结果。
     

一种绕飞编队卫星星间链路系统的总体设计方法

为了建立高精度相对定位编队卫星的星间链路,提出了一种基于GPS的绕飞编队卫星星间链路系统设计方法。针对我国首次以InSAR为背景的任务,以某绕飞编队星座星间链路系统总体方案为例,利用STK/MATLAB分析软件,对天线覆盖区与组阵进行了仿真分析,并根据分析结果做了系统优化,包括星间轨道构型、天线设计组阵图、天线安装位置、链路预算、星间通信措施设计分析以及电磁兼容性分析等。结果表明:基于GPS的编队卫星能够从系统角度优化设计建立星间链路,从而完成编队跟飞、绕飞期间的星间通信与测量任务,为卫星建立星座构型、相对定位测量提供了可靠、稳定的传输通道。该设计方法可为同类卫星或其他类型卫星星间链路系统设计提供参考。     

基于星间距离和方向观测的导航卫星自主定轨研究

研究了导航卫星自主导航问题,提出了基于星间距离和方向观测的导航卫星自主定轨方法,对该方法的可行性进行了分析。     

Advanced detectors and instruments for small satellites

This paper presents some approaches to the development of advanced detectors and to miniaturized instrument design which are pursued in the Institute of Space Sensor Technology of DLR (the German Aerospace Research Establishment). The instrument design approach is demonstrated for a low-weight (3 kg) dual camera system with narrow-angle in-track stereo and wide-angle multispectral features. Each camera has its own signal processor and 0,5 G Bit mass memory. The activities for advanced detector development are concentrated on two different kinds of detectors and instrumentations: infrared detector arrays and instruments at wavelengths out to about 240 μm, and superheterodyne receivers in the submillimeter and far-infrared spectral ranges.     

The enigma of small satellites for earth observation

Small satellites have captured a continuously increasing share of the market in the fields of science, technology and recently also in the telecommunications and Earth observation areas. User requirements and market opportunities for space based satellite systems for Earth observation products have grown substantially in the past decade. Criteria for the utilization of different classes of satellite systems (small and large) and analogies to developments in other areas, e.g. the telecommunications field are discussed. The end to end character of service and product oriented systems as key criteria for market success in the scientific, applications and commercial areas is underlined. Recent developments in the global change, the Earth observation applications and commercial sectors are reviewed and compared. Opportunities for small satellites in the field are related to technology advancements, cost reduction options, and progress in the state of the art in system design.     

European small geostationary communications satellites

Hispasat Advanced Generation 1 (HAG1) is the first satellite using the SGEO platform, which is under the development in the ESA Artes-11 program. Since the last presentation in the IAC 2007, a European industrial consortium led by OHB has completed the mission and spacecraft design. The platform Preliminary Design Review has been carried out in May 2008. The customer for the first mission is a commercial operator—Hispasat. The contract was signed in December 2008 and the satellite will be launched in 2012. To give confidence to the customer, SGEO platform will use up to date flight proven technologies. HAG1 carries 20/24 Ku-band and 3/5 Ka-band transponders to provide commercial services. Some innovative payload technologies will also be flown on board of HAG1 to gain in-orbit heritage. SGEO has also been selected as the baseline platform for the ESA Data Relay Satellite (EDRS). Phase-A study has just kicked off in January 2009. The targeted launch date is 2013. Heinrich Hertz will also use the SGEO platform. Heinrich Hertz is funded by the German Space Agency (DLR) and provides flight opportunities for technologies and components developed by the German Space Industry. With the HAG1 contract in hand, and EDRS and Heinrich Hertz in the line, OHB with its partners has the confidence that it will be able to speed up the product development of the SGEO platform for potential customers in the commercial market. This paper will first present the updated platform design and the status of the product development will be followed with the introduction of innovative payload technologies on board the first mission—HAG1 and ended with the mission concepts of EDRS and Heinrich Hertz missions.     

A self-deploying and self-stabilizing helical antenna for small satellites

Space antennas with a helical geometry are an advantageous choice for many applications, for instance if the transmission of electromagnetic waves with a circular polarization is intended, or if signals from terrestrial objects shall be received with a high angular resolution. In all these cases the desired electromagnetic properties of a helical geometry can be combined with the mechanical advantage that the antenna acts as a compression spring, provided that its core structure has the necessary high spring stiffness but can nevertheless easily be compressed. Such an antenna has been developed by DLR Institutes in Bremen and Braunschweig together with some industrial partners for a small satellite named AISat, which shall be able to pursue the position of individual ships in critical sea areas in order to improve the security of seafare trade. The development was very challenging since the antenna must expand from a stowed stack length of only 10 cm to a total length of 4 m. Only a special carbonfiber core under the conductive coating and a system of stabilizing cords led to a satisfying solution. Both the self-deployment and the self-stabilization function of this innovative antenna concept have been successfully tested and verified under zero-g-conditions in the course of a parabolic flight campaign. It could be convincingly demonstrated that the helical antenna can really achieve its desired contour in weightlessness within some seconds and maintain the required stability. Beyond the current application for the AISat satellite it is therefore quite a promising concept for future satellites.     

A low cost multimission bus for small satellites applications

This article presents the AEROSPATIALE ESPACE & DEFENSE industrial approach for the CNES PROTEUS platform. Three major targets were assigned to the PROTEUS platform. A very wide field of missions (orbits, attitude, instruments and launch vehicle compatibility) will be implemented on PROTEUS platform at a very attractive cost and within a 24 months delivery time. A cost driven system methodology has been established to produce a recurring platform at a very attractive cost. Cost reductions choices were analysed and selected on organisation, engineering, procurement, quality and industrialisation.     

Synthetic observation alignment, and design implications for instruments on small satellites

Spaceborne Earth-Observation requires multi-spectral views of identical physical scenes, so that geophysical parameters can be derived from synergistic scene differences or combinations. This is traditionally achieved by mounting many instruments on a large platform, and constraining their beamshape relation and alignment — an approach inapplicable to SmallSats. However, an adequate density of image samples reports the entire ‘alias-free’ information-content of the spatially-continuous image-scene. Under these conditions sample-alignment is irrelevant; beamshape matching and alignment can be accurately synthesised by signal-processing manipulations of reported data — allowing instruments or channels to be mounted on separate platforms, without physical alignment. Current meteorological instruments vary in their image alias, but for many these limitations could be eliminated by small design changes; or a more radical change could give smaller and cheaper instruments with improved spatial resolution.     

GPS based onboard and onground orbit operations for small satellites

In extension to common applications such as groundtrack displays and antenna steering, the SGP4 orbit model is proposed for operational orbit determination in small satellite missions. SGP4 is an analytical orbit model for Low-Earth orbiting satellites that is widely used for the propagation of NORAD twoline elements. Twoline elements may hence be generated completely independent of NORAD. Their use as exclusive source of orbital information simplifies the operations concept and reduces mission costs through the extensive use of existing low-cost mission support software. Due to small computer resource requirements of 8–10kByte, the SGP4 model may also be applied for onboard orbit computations making use of e.g. a 80186 processor, thus ensuring full compatibility of ground-based and onboard operations. The proposed approach is particularly suited in combination with a space-borne GPS receiver, were the C/A-code navigation solutions are treated as measurements that are adjusted in a least-squares sense using the SGP4 model. As consequence, inherent drawbacks of the pure navigation solutions such as data gaps and scatter as well as limited velocity accuracy are avoided, while the operational navigation activities are kept at a minimum. The feasibility of the concept is illustrated based on real GPS navigation data from the TOPEX/Poseidon and the MIR space station with an inherent data quality of 50–100 m. It is shown that 3 hours of data within a 4 day period are sufficient to keep the position error within 4 km, that is considered sufficient for most applications.     

Bistatic radar as a tool for earth investigation using small satellites

Bistatic radar is a facility for the Earth remote sensing, which uses large spatial diversity between its transmitter and receiver. Nomogram method is proposed to determine the radar's parameters. Analysis of the nomograms has shown that modern onboard radio facilities allow to obtain spatial resolution of about 100 m at the wavelength λ = 3 cm for LEO satellite (H = 350 km). Experiments of bistatic radiolocation of the Earth near the radioshadow zone were provided using telecommunication link “MIR” orbital station — GEO satellite at wavelength λ = 32 cm. For the first time in practice of bistatic radiolocation of the Earth from space reflected signal in radioshadow zone was observed.The analysis of experimental results verified the developed radiophysical model with the value of sea water conductivity σ = 7.0 mo/m and absorption coefficient due to atmospheric oxygen χ = 0.0096±0.0024 dB/km.