Onboard orbit determination using GPS observations based on the unscented Kalman filter

Spaceborne GPS receivers are used for real-time navigation by most low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites. In general, the position and velocity accuracy of GPS navigation solutions without a dynamic filter are 25 m (1σ) and 0.5 m/s (1σ), respectively. However, GPS navigation solutions, which consist of position, velocity, and GPS receiver clock bias, have many abnormal excursions from the normal error range for space operation. These excursions lessen the accuracy of attitude control and onboard time synchronization. In this research, a new onboard orbit determination algorithm designed with the unscented Kalman filter (UKF) was developed to improve the performance. Because the UKF is able to obtain the posterior mean and covariance accurately by using the second-order Taylor series expansion through the sampled sigma points that are propagated by using the true nonlinear system, its performance can be better than that of the extended Kalman filter (EKF), which uses the linearized state transition matrix to predict the covariance. The dynamic models for orbit propagation applied perturbations due to the 40 × 40 geo-potential, the gravity of the Sun and Moon, solar radiation pressure, and atmospheric drag. The 7(8)th-order Runge–Kutta numerical integration was applied for orbit propagation. Two types of observations, navigation solutions and C/A code pseudorange, can be used at the user’s discretion. The performances of the onboard orbit determination were verified using real GPS data of the CHAMP and KOMPSAT-2 satellites. The results of the orbit determination were compared with the precision orbit ephemeris (POE) of the CHAMP and KOMPSAT-2 satellites.     

天基照相跟踪空间碎片批处理轨道确定研究

随着国内外天基观测空间碎片研究的展开,文章提出了利用跟踪卫星的CCD(Charge
Coupled Device)相机对空间碎片进行轨道探测的方法,首先建立了CCD照相观测模型和基于 照相观测 的空间碎片批处理轨道确定模型。通过对CCD相机底片归算方法的分析可知,利用
CCD相机所获得的观测数据与跟踪卫星的姿态无关,且其精度只与测量和坐标转换计算的精 度有关,在测量和计算中可获得较高的精度。分别对分布密度较高的低轨道和地球同步 轨道区域的空间碎片进行了定轨分析。仿真结果表明,定轨时采用两个跟踪弧段的照相数据 定轨精度大大高于一个弧段照相数据的定轨精度;跟踪卫星距离空间碎片越近,定轨精度越 高;低轨道空间碎片的定轨精度高于地球同步轨道上的空间碎片定轨精度。
     

一种近地航天器脉冲星地固系动力学定轨方法

为改善近地航天器脉冲星导航的定轨精度,设计一种地固系动力学定轨方法。该方法结合了更精确的地球引力场模型,在求地球引力势梯度基础上引入惯性力,建立了地固系下轨道动力学方程;并结合脉冲相位量测,使用扩展卡尔曼滤波实现航天器轨道参数实时估计。此方法可以降低动力学方程非线性度,尤其适用于地球静止轨道卫星。通过数学仿真校验了新方法的有效性与精度。     

基于寿命法的压力敏感涂料静/动态特性实验

压力敏感涂料测量技术在内外流表面压力测量方面具有独特的技术优势。涂料光谱特性及"传感器"特性的研究对于分析喷涂固化中环境差异等不可控因素的影响程度、检验拟用涂料配方特定试验的适用性具有十分重要的意义。为此,以一种在研的磷光压力敏感涂料为对象,基于自主研发的静态校准系统对发光寿命随压力与温度的变化规律进行了实验研究,通过对测量结果的拟合分析发现所用涂料的温度适用范围在30~60℃之间,且可进行温度敏感度修正;基于自主研发的高频动态压力光学校准系统对涂料在不同压力脉动频率下的涂料发光寿命峰峰值规律进行了实验研究,通过分析研究确定所用涂料基于发光寿命的截止频率上限为0.94 kHz。实验研究进一步验证了涂料特性静动态校准组合方法的可行性与有效性,为压力敏感涂料配方的研发及其应用拓展提供了重要的技术支撑。     

深空探测中多普勒的建模与应用

针对深空探测中的多普勒观测资料的单程和三程模式,分别给出了瞬时和积分的观测模型,双程多普勒观测模型是三程模式的一个特殊情况.通过比较瞬时和积分多普勒的差异,推断在积分周期取得足够小时,瞬时观测模型与积分模型是一致的.利用2009年8月份对火星探测器MEX的三程多普勒测轨资料的处理,检验了三程多普勒资料观测模型的正确性,利用约一个圈次8小时三程多普勒数据进行轨道计算,定轨结果与欧空局重建轨道位置差约几百米.     

工艺方法对某结构形式的强度影响研究

以某结构形式为例,研究了加工工艺对其强度、尤其是疲劳强度的影响,讨论了产生裂纹的原因,提出了工艺改进措施并得到了试验验证。结果表明,结构根部的应力集中是疲劳强度降低并出现裂纹的原因,加工工艺对疲劳强度有较大影响,改进工艺后,该结构根部应力集中程度降低,抗疲劳性能明显改善。     

Feasibility of performing space surveillance tasks with a proposed space-based optical architecture

Under ESA contract an industrial consortium including Aboa Space Research Oy (ASRO), the Astronomical Institute of the University of Bern (AIUB), and the Dutch National Aerospace Laboratory (NLR), proposed the observation concept, developed a suitable sensor architecture, and assessed the performance of a space-based optical (SBO) telescope in 2005. The goal of the SBO study was to analyse how the existing knowledge gap in the space debris population in the millimetre and centimetre regime may be closed by means of a passive optical instrument. The SBO instrument was requested to provide statistical information on the space debris population in terms of number of objects and size distribution. The SBO instrument was considered to be a cost-efficient with 20 cm aperture and 6° field-of-view and having flexible integration requirements. It should be possible to integrate the SBO instrument easily as a secondary payload on satellites launched into low-Earth orbits (LEO), or into geostationary orbit (GEO). Thus the selected mission concept only allowed for fix-mounted telescopes, and the pointing direction could be requested freely. Since 2007 ESA focuses space surveillance and tracking activities in the Space Situational Awareness (SSA) preparatory program. Ground-based radars and optical telescopes are studied for the build-up and maintenance of a catalogue of objects. In this paper we analyse how the proposed SBO architecture could contribute to the space surveillance tasks survey and tracking. We assume that the SBO instrumentation is placed into a circular sun-synchronous orbit at 800 km altitude. We discuss the observation conditions of objects at higher altitude, and select an orbit close to the terminator plane. A pointing of the sensor orthogonal to the orbital plane with optimal elevation slightly in positive direction (0° and +5°) is found optimal for accessing the entire GEO regime within one day, implying a very good coverage of controlled objects in GEO, too. Simulations using ESA’s Program for Radar and Optical Observation Forecasting (PROOF) in the version 2005 and a GEO reference population extracted from DISCOS revealed that the proposed pointing scenario provides low phase angles together with low angular velocities of the objects crossing the field-of-view. Radiometric simulations show that the optimal exposure time is 1–2 s, and that spherical objects in GEO with a diameter of below 1 m can be detected. The GEO population can be covered under proper illumination nearly completely, but seasonal drops of the coverage are possible. Subsequent observations of objects are on average at least every 1.5 days, not exceeding 3 days at maximum. A single observation arc spans 3° to 5° on average. Using a simulation environment that connects PROOF to AIUB’s program system CelMech we verify the consistency of the initial orbit determination for five selected test objects on subsequent days as a function of realistic astrometric noise levels. The initial orbit determination is possible. We define requirements for a correlator process essential for catalogue build-up and maintenance. Each single observation should provide an astrometric accuracy of at least 1”–1.5” so that the initially determined orbits are consistent within a few hundred kilometres for the semi-major axis, 0.01 for the eccentricity, and 0.1° for the inclination.     

CubeSail: A low cost CubeSat based solar sail demonstration mission

CubeSail is a nano-solar sail mission based on the 3U CubeSat standard, which is currently being designed and built at the Surrey Space Centre, University of Surrey. CubeSail will have a total mass of around 3 kg and will deploy a 5 × 5 m sail in low Earth orbit. The primary aim of the mission is to demonstrate the concept of solar sailing and end-of-life de-orbiting using the sail membrane as a drag-sail. The spacecraft will have a compact 3-axis stabilised attitude control system, which uses three magnetic torquers aligned with the spacecraft principle axis as well as a novel two-dimensional translation stage separating the spacecraft bus from the sail. CubeSail’s deployment mechanism consists of four novel booms and four-quadrant sail membranes. The proposed booms are made from tape-spring blades and will deploy the sail membrane from a 2U CubeSat standard structure. This paper presents a systems level overview of the CubeSat mission, focusing on the mission orbit and de-orbiting, in addition to the deployment, attitude control and the satellite bus.     

基于逐步回归的模型误差估计及在天基测控系统中的应用研究

以双星定位系统的天基测控技术为应用背景,提出了一种能够自适应估计模 型误差的轨道确定方法。详细推导了观测模型中的系统误差形态,建立了能表征实际特征的 部分线性轨道改进模型,并利用二阶段法和核函数估计法对混合误差进行补偿,在此基础上 对补偿模型进行逐步回归分析,从中提取动力学模型误差,从而抑制了动力学模型误差的影 响,提高了轨道改进的精度。在本文的仿真环境下,部分线性轨道改进法能够有效抑制混合 误差对定轨精度的影响,提高天基测控的轨道确定精度。     

姿态四元数相关问题

介绍了四元数计算中的相关问题,包括四元数与方向余弦阵之间的转换、四元数运动方程、求解四元数运动方程时积分步长的选取和高动态应用中非互易误差的补偿,此外还介绍了对偶四元数的发展。