LEO enhanced Global Navigation Satellite System (LeGNSS) for real-time precise positioning services

Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) has been widely used in many geosciences areas with its Positioning, Navigation and Timing (PNT) service. However, GNSS still has its own bottleneck, such as the long initialization period of Precise Point Positioning (PPP) without dense reference network. Recently, the concept of PNTRC (Positioning, Navigation, Timing, Remote sensing and Communication) has been put forward, where Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite constellations are recruited to fulfill diverse missions. In navigation aspect, a number of selected LEO satellites can be equipped with a transmitter to transmit similar navigation signals to ground users, so that they can serve as GNSS satellites but with much faster geometric change to enhance GNSS capability, which is named as LEO constellation enhanced GNSS (LeGNSS). As a result, the initialization time of PPP is expected to be shortened to the level of a few minutes or even seconds depending on the number of the LEO satellites involved. In this article, we simulate all the relevant data from June 8th to 14th, 2014 and investigate the feasibility of LeGNSS with the concentration on the key issues in the whole data processing for providing real-time PPP service based on a system configuration with fourteen satellites of BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS), twenty-four satellites of the Global Positioning System (GPS), and sixty-six satellites of the Iridium satellite constellations. At the server-end, Precise Orbit Determination (POD) and Precise Clock Estimation (PCE) with various operational modes are investigated using simulated observations. It is found out that GNSS POD with partial LEO satellites is the most practical mode of LeGNSS operation. At the user-end, the Geometry Dilution Of Precision (GDOP) and Signal-In-Space Ranging Error (SISRE) are calculated and assessed for different positioning schemes in order to demonstrate the performance of LeGNSS. Centimeter level SISRE can be achieved for LeGNSS.     

Effects of space weather on the ionosphere and LEO satellites’ orbital trajectory in equatorial,low and middle latitude

We study the effects of space weather on the ionosphere and low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites’ orbital trajectory in equatorial, low- and mid-latitude (EQL, LLT and MLT) regions during (and around) the notable storms of October/November, 2003. We briefly review space weather effects on the thermosphere and ionosphere to demonstrate that such effects are also latitude-dependent and well established. Following the review we simulate the trend in variation of satellite’s orbital radius (r), mean height (h) and orbit decay rate (ODR) during 15 October–14 November 2003 in EQL, LLT and MLT. Nominal atmospheric drag on LEO satellite is usually enhanced by space weather or solar-induced variations in thermospheric temperature and density profile. To separate nominal orbit decay from solar-induced accelerated orbit decay, we compute $r\text{,}h$ and ODR in three regimes viz. (i) excluding solar indices (or effect), where $r=r_0\text{,}h=h_0$ and $\mathit{ODR}={\mathit{ODR}}_0$ (ii) with mean value of solar indices for the interval, where $r=r_m\text{,}h=h_m$ and $\mathit{ODR}={\mathit{ODR}}_m$ and (iii) with actual daily values of solar indices for the interval ($r\text{,}h$ and ODR). For a typical LEO satellite at h?=?450?km, we show that the total decay in r during the period is about 4.20?km, 3.90?km and 3.20?km in EQL, LLT and MLT respectively; the respective nominal decay ($r_0$) is 0.40?km, 0.34?km and 0.22?km, while solar-induced orbital decay ($r_m$) is about 3.80?km, 3.55?km and 2.95?km. h also varied in like manner. The respective nominal ${\mathit{ODR}}_0$ is about 13.5?m/day, 11.2?m/day and 7.2?m/day, while solar-induced ${\mathit{ODR}}_m$ is about 124.3?m/day, 116.9?m/day and 97.3?m/day. We also show that severe geomagnetic storms can increase ODR by up to 117% (from daily mean value). However, the extent of space weather effects on LEO Satellite’s trajectory significantly depends on the ballistic co-efficient and orbit of the satellite, and phase of solar cycles, intensity and duration of driving (or influencing) solar event.     

基于PCRLB的低轨星座对自由段多目标的多传感器调度算法

研究了低轨星座跟踪自由段目标背景下的多目标多传感器调度问题.论述了自由段目标运动模型和星载红外传感器测量模型.考虑到目标出现的时空不确定性,面向系统的跟踪性能,建立了基于突发事件和滚动周期的调度框架以及调度与跟踪的闭环结构.基于此,建立了调度的具体算法.特别地,以调度周期内系统的信息增量最大化为目标,详细设计了基于PCRLB的调度策略性能指标.仿真验证了算法的可行性、优越性以及在动态环境中的适应性.     

低轨巨型星座构型设计与控制研究进展与展望

近年来低轨星座计划发展迅速,低轨巨型星座已成为全球争夺空间战略资源的"新战场".首先,概述了Telesat、OneWeb、Starlink等低轨巨型星座计划的发展现状,以及中国互联网星座计划的基本情况.在此基础上,分别从星座的任务需求、覆盖特性、摄动补偿和备份策略4个方面,综述了星座的构型设计方法及其特点.然后,根据卫...     

基于分布式深度学习的多星计算卸载策略

在边缘计算增强的低轨卫星网络场景下,低轨卫星集群协同处理地面任务能有效降低用户响应时延。对卫星集群的联合卸载决策和资源分配优化问题进行研究,将其描述为一个混合整数规划问题,并采用了一种基于分布式深度学习算法的卫星边缘计算卸载算法（deep learning based offloading algorithm,DLOA）。该算法使用多个并行DNN用于生成卸载决策并采用经验回放存储新生成的卸载决策,当采用隐藏层结构不同的DNN,收敛速度比同构DNN提升18%,收敛值与最优值的比值基本为1,可以认为已收敛至最优。此外,探讨了DNN的数量对所使用的算法的影响,仿真结果表明采用少量DNN就可以获得近优的收敛效果。通过对不同任务规模下采用不同算法的任务完成率进行研究,结果表明DLOA算法可通过采用异构DNN和优化资源分配方案显著提升完成率,其较单星运算方案任务完成率提升1倍,较二进制粒子群算法方案提升20%。     

一种改进的LEO卫星网络路由策略

文章结合LEO卫星网络的拓扑结构和运行规律,提出了一种时延受限的最小耗费（DCLC）路由算法。仿真结果显示,相对于最短路由算法,该算法具有较低的呼叫阻塞率和切换失败率,以及更好的服务质量。同时能够平衡各链路负载,使整个卫星网络更稳定。     

适于低轨卫星IP网络的单核共享树组播算法(英文)

为了解决低轨卫星IP网络中现有典型源组播算法的信道资源浪费问题,本文提出了一套单核共享树组播算法,即核心群合并共享树(CCST)和加权核心群合并共享树(w-CCST)算法。CCST 算法包括动态近似中心(DAC)选核方法和核心群合并组播路径构建方法。DAC方法专为周期、规律运动的低轨卫星网络提出,不需要复杂的星上计算。在核心群合并方法中,以核节点作为初始核心群,通过核心群和剩余组成员的最短路径方法逐步扩展直至整棵组播树构建完成,从而使得组播树的树代价最小,大大提高了网络的带宽利用率和组播传输效率。w-CCST 算法中所提出的加权因子可以调整树代价和端到端传播时延之间的折衷程度,因此,可以通过调整加权因子来适度增大树代价、降低端到端传播时延以支持某些端到端时延要求苛刻的实时组播业务。最后,与低轨卫星 IP 网络中典型算法进行了性能比较,仿真结果说明,CCST 算法的平均树代价比其它算法显著降低,w-CCST 算法的平均端到端传播时延小于 CCST 算法。     

Core-based Shared Tree Multicast Routing Algorithms for LEO Satellite IP Networks

A new core-based shared tree algorithm, viz core-cluster combination-based shared tree （CCST） algorithm and the weighted version （i.e. w-CCST algorithm） are proposed in order to resolve the channel resources waste problem in typical source-based multicast routing algorithms in low earth orbit （LEO） satellite IP networks. The CCST algorithm includes the dynamic approximate center （DAC） core selection method and the core-cluster combination multicast route construction scheme. Without complicated onboard computation, the DAC method is uniquely developed for highly dynamic networks of periodical and regular movement. The core-cluster combination method takes core node as the initial core-cluster, and expands it stepwise to construct an entire multicast tree at the lowest tree cost by a shortest path scheme between the newly-generated core-cluster and surplus group members, which results in great bandwidth utilization. Moreover, the w-CCST algorithm is able to strike a balance between performance of tree cost and that of end-to-end propagation delay by adjusting the weighted factor to meet strict end-to-end delay requirements of some real-time multicast services at the expense of a slight increase in tree cost. Finally, performance comparison is conducted between the proposed algorithms and typical algorithms in LEO satellite IP networks. Simulation results show that the CCST algorithm significantly decreases the average tree cost against to the others, and also the average end-to-end propagation delay ofw-CCST algorithm is lower than that of the CCST algorithm.     

Galileo系统在空间飞行器定位中的应用

欧洲的Galileo系统将在2008年建成，届时它将与美国的GPS系统相互补充。在对Galileo系统导航星座轨道和信号结构分析的基础上，结合各种不同轨道高度的空间飞行器用户的动态特点，推导了用户卫星接收天线的可见可用性模型，建立了基于Galileo坐标系统(ITRF-96)的高动态定位算法模型，针对实际航天工程任务的LEO和GEO卫星进行了定位仿真，为Galileo系统在空间领域的实际应用打下了基础。     

Measuring atmospheric density using GPS–LEO tracking data

We present a method to estimate the total neutral atmospheric density from precise orbit determination of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites. We derive the total atmospheric density by determining the drag force acting on the LEOs through centimeter-level reduced-dynamic precise orbit determination (POD) using onboard Global Positioning System (GPS) tracking data. The precision of the estimated drag accelerations is assessed using various metrics, including differences between estimated along-track accelerations from consecutive 30-h POD solutions which overlap by 6 h, comparison of the resulting accelerations with accelerometer measurements, and comparison against an existing atmospheric density model, DTM-2000. We apply the method to GPS tracking data from CHAMP, GRACE, SAC-C, Jason-2, TerraSAR-X and COSMIC satellites, spanning 12 years (2001–2012) and covering orbital heights from 400 km to 1300 km. Errors in the estimates, including those introduced by deficiencies in other modeled forces (such as solar radiation pressure and Earth radiation pressure), are evaluated and the signal and noise levels for each satellite are analyzed. The estimated density data from CHAMP, GRACE, SAC-C and TerraSAR-X are identified as having high signal and low noise levels. These data all have high correlations with anominal atmospheric density model and show common features in relative residuals with respect to the nominal model in related parameter space. On the contrary, the estimated density data from COSMIC and Jason-2 show errors larger than the actual signal at corresponding altitudes thus having little practical value for this study. The results demonstrate that this method is applicable to data from a variety of missions and can provide useful total neutral density measurements for atmospheric study up to altitude as high as 715 km, with precision and resolution between those derived from traditional special orbital perturbation analysis and those obtained from onboard accelerometers.