Aiming at a 1-cm Orbit for Low Earth Orbiters: Reduced-Dynamic and Kinematic Precise Orbit Determination

The computation of high-accuracy orbits is a prerequisite for the success of Low Earth Orbiter (LEO) missions such as CHAMP, GRACE and GOCE. The mission objectives of these satellites cannot be reached without computing orbits with an accuracy at the few cm level. Such a level of accuracy might be achieved with the techniques of reduced-dynamic and kinematic precise orbit determination (POD) assuming continuous Satellite-to-Satellite Tracking (SST) by the Global Positioning System (GPS). Both techniques have reached a high level of maturity and have been successfully applied to missions in the past, for example to TOPEX/POSEIDON (T/P), leading to (sub-)decimeter orbit accuracy. New LEO gravity missions are (to be) equipped with advanced GPS receivers promising to provide very high quality SST observations thereby opening the possibility for computing cm-level accuracy orbits. The computation of orbits at this accuracy level does not only require high-quality GPS receivers, but also advanced and demanding observation preprocessing and correction algorithms. Moreover, sophisticated parameter estimation schemes need to be adapted and extended to allow the computation of such orbits. Finally, reliable methods need to be employed for assessing the orbit quality and providing feedback to the different processing steps in the orbit computation process. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

低轨卫星面阵凝视成像技术研究

文章介绍了面阵凝视成像的工作原理及特点，阐述了低轨卫星对地观测凝视成像面临的像移问题及其解决措施，对像移补偿装置与二维指向机构的结合做了初步探讨。     

低地球轨道环境原子氧对航天器表面材料聚酰亚胺作用的数值模拟

在建立数学物理模型的基础上，对氏地球轨道环境和地面实验环境下，有无保护层的聚酰亚胺所受原子氧冲蚀作用进行了进行了成功的数值模拟，获得了具有工程应用价值的数值计算结果，并讨论了数学物理模型中各参数对基蚀曲线形状的影响。从数值模拟结果和美国太空实验结果的比较可以看出，本文数据模拟的结果是正确的。该项工作对航天器的设计具有重要指导意义。     

低轨卫星月影事件预报优化

针对卫星月影问题,提出了一种低轨卫星优化的月影预报策略,可以有效提高目前低轨卫星在轨管理时对月影事件预报的效率.结合仿真对产生月影事件的太阳、地球、月球的三体关系进行了分析,首先给出了月影产生的解析分析方法,并通过对一个三维月影影响模型的分析,得到了月影影响区间的判定要素——月影临界角;然后进一步通过对月影临界角的分析,提出了基于太阳与白道面的位置关系和月影临界角对低轨卫星月影事件的优化预报方法;最后基于大量的随机低轨卫星场景对本方法的正确性进行了验证.研究结果表明,此方法能够较大地提高月影预报效率,可以将月影预报频率从每月1次降低到每年2次,从而简化了低轨卫星在轨运行管理的任务复杂度,为卫星的在轨可靠运行提供支持.     

Rapid model-based inter-disciplinary design of a CubeSat mission

With an increase in the use of small, modular, resource-limited satellites for Earth orbiting applications, the benefit to be had from a model-based architecture that rapidly searches the mission trade-space and identifies near-optimal designs is greater than ever. This work presents an architecture that identifies trends between conflicting objectives (e.g. lifecycle cost and performance) and decision variables (e.g. orbit altitude and inclination) such that informed assessment can be made as to which design/s to take on for further analysis. The models within the architecture exploit analytic methods where possible, in order avoid computationally expensive numerical propagation, and achieve rapid convergence. Two mission cases are studied; the first is an Earth observation satellite and presents a trade-off between ground sample distance and revisit time over a ground target, given altitude as the decision variable. The second is a satellite with a generic scientific payload and shows a more involved trade-off, between data return to a ground station and cost of the mission, given variations in the orbit altitude, inclination and ground station latitude. Results of each case are presented graphically and it is clear that non-intuitive results are captured that would typically be missed using traditional, point-design methods, where only discrete scenarios are examined.     

Crew autonomy for deep space exploration: Lessons from the Antarctic Search for Meteorites

Future piloted missions to explore asteroids, Mars, and other targets beyond the Moon will experience strict limitations on communication between vehicles in space and control centers on Earth. These limitations will require crews to operate with greater autonomy than any past space mission has demonstrated. The Antarctic Search for Meteorites (ANSMET) project, which regularly sends small teams of researchers to remote parts of the southern continent, resembles a space mission in many ways but does not rely upon a control center. It provides a useful crew autonomy model for planners of future deep space exploration missions. In contrast to current space missions, ANSMET gives the crew the authority to adjust competing work priorities, task assignments, and daily schedules; allows the crew to be the primary monitor of mission progress; demands greater crew accountability for operational errors; requires the crew to make the most of limited communication bandwidth; adopts systems designed for simple operation and failure recovery; and grants the crew a leading role in the selection and stowage of their equipment.     

基于区域划分的LEO卫星星座QoS路由算法

针对LEO卫星网络中由于流量分布不均导致的拥塞问题,以及多种通信业务带来的QoS保障问题,提出了基于区域划分的多业务QoS路由算法(MSR-RP).算法考虑了信关站有限分布造成的漏斗流量问题,一方面通过划分动态区域,减少区域节点数量,降低了算法整体计算复杂度;另一方面,在轻负载区域采用最短路径算法计算路由,重负载区域采...     

基于TLE的弹道系数计算方法及应用分析

针对仅使用两行要素（Two Line Element，TLE）作为数据源的应用需求，研究了基于TLE轨道衰减的弹道系数计算方法。介绍了一种常用的基于两组TLE的直接计算法，分析TLE选取间隔对结果精度的影响；提出了一种基于多组TLE的迭代计算方法，以降低异常TLE对计算结果的影响；从弹道系数计算效果、在再入预报中的应用等方面对这两种方法进行比较分析。结果表明，两种方法各有优劣，基于多组TLE的迭代计算法稳定性更高、受TLE精度的影响更小；由于数据区间更短，基于两组TLE的计算结果对短期轨道衰减特性反应得更准确，用于临近再入时的预报效果更好。     

LEO原子氧剥蚀太阳电池阵Ag互连材料的试验研究

暴露在低地球轨道(LEO)上的太阳电池阵,会与大量具有极强氧化性的原子氧发生碰撞,导致太阳电池阵中对氧原子敏感的Ag互连材料受到剥蚀。文章依据原子氧剥蚀Ag材料的机理,选取了约400 km高度轨道上1年时间内原子氧的累积通量作为最高剂量,进行了原子氧剥蚀不同厚度Ag互连材料的地面模拟环境试验。试验表明:Ag在原子氧作用下在宏观上会经历"氧化—剥落"的循环剥蚀过程。根据反应方程简化推导了Ag互连片的剥蚀厚度公式,同时结合试验结果计算出了不同厚度Ag互连材料的厚度损失率。该研究成果可为LEO太阳电池阵原子氧防护设计提供技术支持。     

New trade tree for manned mars missions

Recent studies on human missions to Mars suggest revisiting the parameters that have the most important impact on the complexity, the initial mass in low Earth orbit, the risks and the development costs for the first journey to the red planet. In the last NASA reference mission, a trade tree is proposed.