Contingency and recovery options for the European Student Moon Orbiter

This paper presents an overview of the analysis performed on the lunar orbit and some of the possible contingencies for the European Student Moon Orbiter (ESMO). Originally scheduled for launch in 2014 –2015 as a piggyback payload, it was the only ESA planned mission to the Moon. By way of a weak stability boundary transfer, ESMO is inserted into an orbit around the Moon. Propellant use is at a premium, so the operational orbit is selected to be highly eccentric. In addition, an optimization is presented to achieve an orbit that is stable for 6 months without requiring orbit maintenance. A parameter study is undertaken to study the sensitivity of the lunar orbit insertion. A database of transfer solutions across 2014 and 2015 is used to study the relation between the robustness of weak capture and the planetary geometry at lunar arrival. A number of example recovery scenarios, where the orbit insertion maneuver partially or completely fails, are also considered.     

Control system design of the Korean lunar lander demonstrator

In preparation for the lunar exploration program scheduled to be launched during the early 2020s in Korea, a lunar lander demonstrator, which will be used for developing and demonstrating lunar landing technologies, is being developed. The control configuration of the lunar lander demonstrator is determined with the consideration of available technologies and flight requirements. It is suggested that altitude control be achieved by clustering five 200 N monopropellant thrusters and attitude control with eight 3 N thrusters. A control algorithm designed to follow a predefined trajectory is developed using quaternion feedback. Control system configuration and control logic are verified by using computer simulations. Simulation results show that a soft landing with a touchdown velocity of less than 3 m/s is achieved. Attitude control performance is also verified using computer simulations. The developed control configuration will be further tested by hardware in the loop simulations and ground based firing tests during the next phase of the study.     

Developing the global exploration roadmap: An example using the humans to the lunar surface theme

The development of the Global Exploration Roadmap (GER) by 12 space agencies participating in the International Space Exploration Coordination Group broadly outlines a pathway to send humans beyond low Earth orbit for the first time since Apollo. Three themes have emerged: Exploration of a Near-Earth Asteroid, Extended Duration Crew Missions, and Humans to the Lunar Surface. The lack of detail within each of these themes could mean that realizing the goals of the GER would be significantly delayed. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate that many of the details needed to fully define and evaluate these themes in terms of scientific rationale, economic viability, and technical feasibility already exist and need to be mapped to the GER. Here, we use the Humans to the Lunar Surface theme as an example to illustrate how this process could work. By mapping documents from a variety of international stakeholders, this process can be used to cement buy-in from the current partners and attract new ones to this effort.     

Sulfur “concrete” for lunar applications – Sublimation concerns

Melting sulfur and mixing it with an aggregate to form “concrete” is commercially well established and constitutes a material that is particularly well-suited for use in corrosive environments. Discovery of the mineral troilite (FeS) on the moon poses the question of extracting the sulfur for use as a lunar construction material. This would be an attractive alternative to conventional concrete as it does not require water. However, the viability of sulfur concrete in a lunar environment, which is characterized by lack of an atmosphere and extreme temperatures, is not well understood. Here it is assumed that the lunar ore can be mined, refined, and the raw sulfur melded with appropriate lunar regolith to form, for example, bricks. This study evaluates pure sulfur and two sets of small sulfur concrete samples that have been prepared using JSC-1 lunar stimulant and SiO₂ powder as aggregate additions. Each set was subjected to extended periods in a vacuum environment to evaluate sublimation issues. Results from these experiments are presented and discussed within the context of the lunar environment.     

Hipparchus vs. Ptolemy and the Antikythera Mechanism: Pin–Slot device models lunar motions

The ancient Greek astronomical calculator known as the Antikythera Mechanism has been analyzed using geometrical, calculus, trigonometric and complex variable methods. This analysis demonstrates that the Mechanism modeled the variations in the Moon’s angular velocity as seen from the Earth, to better than 1 part in 200. A major implication of this analysis is that the Antikythera Mechanism of the 2nd century BCE modeled the anomalistic motion of the Moon more accurately than Ptolemy’s account of Hipparchus’s theory of the 2nd century CE. In the present work, mathematics, astronomy, history and methodology of the sciences combine in the study of a unique artifact, preserved for posterity in an ancient ship that sank in the Mediterranean 2100 years ago and recovered by Greek sponge divers at the dawn of the 20th century.     

激光测速仪校准技术研究

综述了激光测速仪的现有校准方法,提出了采用模拟目标进行激光测速仪校准的新方法,并根据该原理研建了校准装置.经各种校准方法的比较分析和校准试验验证,说明装置校准范围宽、重复性好、通用性好,可以满足激光测速仪的校准需求.     

Technology Progress Report for Microwave Remote Sensing

In this presentation, technological progress for China's microwave remote sensing is introduced. New developments of the microwave remote sensing instruments for China's lunar exploration satellite (Chang'E-1), meteorological satellite FY-3 and ocean dynamic measurement satellite (HY-2) are reported.     

基于ZUPT的新型月面导航处理方法

为了解决探测器在月面工作时惯性导航系统的误差累积问题,克服现有研究对环境敏感或是需要定期停止才能进行误差修复的短板,结合探测器的行驶行为,将探测器使用零速更新（ZUPT）原理修正误差的过程分解成了无ZUPT、完全ZUPT、水平动态ZUPT和垂向动态ZUPT 4种子模型的叠加,并分别推导了它们的系统矩阵和测量矩阵。针对月面导航系统提出了一种新型多模型零速更新（MMZUPT）算法。该算法应用多模型交互原理,允许多种更新模型同时工作,可以通过计算每个模型的权重在每个定位历元输出最优导航结果并约束误差。在精心挑选的受限环境中对月面导航进行了模拟实验,结果表明,所提MMZUPT方法无需频繁地主动停车以满足传统ZUPT使用边界就可以取得良好的效果,并且通过对包含错误的校准信号加以识别和利用可以获得更好的性能。     

定时定点月面着陆全程轨道控制设计

针对定时定点月面着陆的目标要求,提出了全程轨道控制设计方法。进行了包括地月转移、近月制动、环月降轨和动力下降的全程轨道控制的分段设计和联合规划,实现在入轨轨道偏差条件下的定时定点月面着陆。分别构建了中途修正、近月制动、环月降轨三段轨道控制的规划变量和目标参数;根据轨道倾角建立了动力下降点与着陆点的匹配转换关系。设计了中途修正、近月制动、环月降轨、动力下降的全程轨道控制策略的联合规划。建立了着陆位置偏差与轨道倾角偏差、着陆时间偏差与轨道半长轴偏差的修正关系,修正设计了中途修正目标倾角和近月制动目标半长轴。仿真算例表明,在入轨偏差轨道条件下,保证了中途修正后的飞行轨道与标称轨道基本一致,实现了与标称状态基本一致的定时定点月面着陆。可应用于月球着陆、月球采样返回以及载人登月等实施月面定时定点着陆任务的轨道设计和控制实施。     

时间代价启发式多月基装备协同任务规划方法

针对月球科研站构建中优化整体任务用时的需求,提出时间代价启发式多月基装备协同任务规划方法。面向月球科研站构建过程中的原位和路径任务,构建双类型任务关系图,并提出多位置转移时间代价启发式策略引导此图的搜索方向,使规划器沿局部最短耗时任务路径逐个处理任务,降低装备路径转移的时间代价;提出时间代价启发式装备选择策略,从而均衡月基装备任务负载,缩短装备工作时长。最后,以包含资源开采、物料运输、设施建设等任务的月球科研站构建场景为例,对规划算法进行仿真验证。结果表明,此算法能够生成满足复杂约束的多装备协同规划序列。与传统规划方法相比,本文方法得到的月基装备任务序列冗余路径少、任务用时短,可实现多装备在多任务中的高效分时复用。