High performance motion control for optical satellite tracking systems

This paper investigates the motion control system of an optical telescope system used for precision satellite tracking and ranging applications. The system uses direct-drive permanent magnet synchronous motors (PMSMs) for high precision positioning. To overcome the performance limitations due to system dynamics and position dependent plant variations, a disturbance observer based control system is utilized. This paper contributes the detailed analysis, design and implementation of such an advanced control concept for the performance improvement of precision satellite tracking systems. Satellite tracking experiments are conducted to verify the performance of the proposed system. Utilizing the proposed control concept, the RMS servo error is reduced by a factor of 3.8 to well below the arcsecond range, achieving seeing limited tracking.     

RadioAstron reveals super-compact structures in the bursting H2O maser source G25.65+1.05

Water masers are well-known to be variable on a variety of time scales, but only three Galactic H₂O masers are known to flare to the level of 10⁵–10⁶ Jy (${\text{T}}_{\text{B}}\sim {10}^{17}$ K): Orion KL, W49N, and the recently discovered G25.65+1.05. Recently detected flaring activity of H₂O maser in the massive star-forming region G25.65+1.05 gave us a unique opportunity to study the fine structure of H₂O maser emission in the bursting state with extremely high space VLBI angular resolution. Observation of the source was carried out with ∼9 Earth diameter space-ground baseline within the framework of the RadioAstron project. H₂O maser emission from two spectral features, including the bursting one, was detected in the experiment. Only ∼1% of the bursting H₂O maser emission was detected on the space-ground baselines: it indicates the presence of a very compact spatial structure with a size of ∼25 $\mathrm{\mu }$as, which corresponds to 0.05 AU or ∼5 solar diameters at the distance to the source of 2.08 kpc, and the brightness temperature of ∼3 × 10¹⁶ K. Analysis of the flux density as a function of the baseline length for the bursting H₂O maser feature in the source shows that most of the emission comes from an extended “halo” structure, while the core of emission is very compact and has an extreme brightness temperature. These results are in agreement with the model of interacting maser clouds considered as the likely explanation of the nature of the burst in the source. Under the assumption of such a model, the beam size of maser emission is reduced while the brightness temperatures similar to the highest observed values are produced.     

低轨卫星的北斗反射信号海洋覆盖分析

北斗系统作为我国自行研制的导航系统，具有独特的混合星座特性，其反射事件在海洋上的空间分布和覆盖性能的研究成果较少。针对上述问题，模拟了北斗三号（Beidou System 3，BDS3）以及全球定位系统（Global Positioning System，GPS）空间星座，模拟不同性能参数的低轨接收卫星，在此仿真系统的基础上，计算反射事件在各仿真场景下的海洋覆盖率以及同时发生反射事件的卫星数量。结果表明：BDS3与GPS相比具有更大的反射事件海洋覆盖率，覆盖性能更优；仿真周期7天与1天相比,前者卫星产生的反射事件海洋覆盖率约为后者5倍；低轨道卫星（Low Earth Orbit,LEO）轨道高度越高，天线波束角度越大，反射事件海洋覆盖率越大；3颗LEO卫星下同时发生反射事件卫星数的平均值约为单颗LEO卫星的3倍。可通过设计多星组网来提高反射事件海洋覆盖率。研究结果对星载反射技术海洋遥感应用方面有一定的参考价值。     

翱翔系列立方星的发展和展望

针对西北工业大学“翱翔”系列立方星在低成本、短周期、快响应的立方星技术方面的突破，介绍了应用于大气层外偏振导航技术试验的世界首颗12U立方星“翱翔之星”，世界首次组网开展低热层大气参数测量的QB50计划“翱翔一号”立方星等，总结了“翱翔”系列立方星的标准化结构设计、姿态控制系统、电源系统、星载计算机、通信与测控、部署器等核心系统的发展现状，介绍了自主研制的飞轮、磁力矩器、偏振敏感器载荷。并基于在轨组装，编队飞行，一箭多星等技术对“翱翔”系列立方星的应用进行了展望，对探索柔性、高精度、长寿命的立方星将有重要的意义。     

Target-enclosing affine formation control of two-layer networked spacecraft with collision avoidance

This paper addresses a target-enclosing problem for multiple spacecraft systems by proposing a two-layer affine formation control strategy. Compared with the existing methods, the adopted two-layer network structure in this paper is generally directed, which is suitable for practical space missions. Firstly, distributed finite-time sliding-mode estimators and formation controllers in both layers are designed separately to improve the flexibility of the formation control system. By introducing the properties of affine transformation into formation control protocol design, the controllers can be used to track different time-varying target formation patterns. Besides, multi-layer time-varying encirclements can be achieved with particular shapes to surround the moving target. In the sequel, by integrating adaptive neural networks and specialized artificial potential functions into backstepping controllers, the problems of uncertain Euler-Lagrange models, collision avoidance as well as formation reconfiguration are solved simultaneously. The stability of the proposed controllers is verified by the Lyapunov direct method. Finally, two simulation examples of triangle formation and more complex hexagon formation are presented to illustrate the feasibility of the theoretical results.     

A roadmap towards a space-based radio telescope for ultra-low frequency radio astronomy

The past two decades have witnessed a renewed interest in low frequency radio astronomy, with a particular focus on frequencies above 30 MHz e.g., LOFAR (LOw Frequency ARray) in the Netherlands and its European extension ILT, the International LOFAR Telescope. However, at frequencies below 30 MHz, Earth-based observations are limited due to a combination of severe ionospheric distortions, almost full reflection of radio waves below 10 MHz, solar eruptions and the radio frequency interference (RFI) of human-made signals. Moreover, there are interesting scientific processes which naturally occur at these low frequencies. A space or Lunar-based ultra-low-frequency (also referred to as ultra-long-wavelength, ULW) radio array would suffer significantly less from these limitations and hence would open up the last, virtually unexplored frequency domain in the electromagnetic spectrum.A roadmap has been initiated by astronomers and researchers in the Netherlands to explore the opportunity of building a swarm of satellites to observe at the frequency band below 30 MHz. This roadmap dubbed Orbiting Low Frequency Antennas for Radio Astronomy (OLFAR), a space-based ultra-low frequency radio telescope that will explore the Universe’s so-called dark ages, map the interstellar medium, and study planetary and solar bursts in the solar system and search them in other planetary systems. Such a radio astronomy system will comprise of a swarm of hundreds to thousands of satellites, working together as a single aperture synthesis instrument deployed sufficiently far away from Earth to avoid terrestrial RFI. The OLFAR telescope is a novel and complex system, requiring yet to be proven engineering solutions. Therefore, a number of key technologies are still required to be developed and proven. The first step in this roadmap is the NCLE (Netherlands China Low Frequency Explorer) experiment, which was launched in May 2018 on the Chinese Chang’e 4 mission. The NCLE payload consists of a three monopole antenna system for low frequency observations, from which the first data stream is expected in the second half of 2019, which will provide important feedback for future science and technology opportunities.In this paper, the roadmap towards OLFAR, a brief overview of the science opportunities, and the technological and programmatic challenges of the mission are presented.     

Real-time sensor fault detection and isolation for LEO satellite attitude estimation through magnetometer data

Attitude estimation is a critical component of the Attitude Determination and Control System (ADCS) of any satellite. It is used to convert the sensor observation data to an estimated attitude using filtering algorithms. However, in the presence of sensor faults, the ADCS fails to achieve the desired attitude accuracy. In this paper, the Fault Tolerant Extended Kalman Filter (FTEKF) is proposed to handle this imperfection. In accordance, various filtering steps are included in the FTEKF design to enhance both attitude estimation and sensor fault detection. The developed algorithm can detect and isolate any unexpected sensor faults in real time, which provides a reliable attitude estimation. A comparative study with the classical and robust Kalman filters is performed through numerical simulations in order to validate the effectiveness of the adopted filter in case of magnetometer fault data.     

Precision orbit determination performance for CryoSat-2

In this paper we discuss our efforts to perform precision orbit determination (POD) of CryoSat-2 which depends on Doppler and satellite laser ranging tracking data. A dynamic orbit model is set-up and the residuals between the model and the tracking data is evaluated. The average r.m.s. of the 10?s averaged Doppler tracking pass residuals is approximately 0.39?mm/s; and the average of the laser tracking pass residuals becomes 1.42?cm. There are a number of other tests to verify the quality of the orbit solution, we compare our computed orbits against three independent external trajectories provided by the CNES. The CNES products are part of the CryoSat-2 products distributed by ESA. The radial differences of our solution relative to the CNES precision orbits shows an average r.m.s. of 1.25?cm between Jun-2010 and Apr-2017. The SIRAL altimeter crossover difference statistics demonstrate that the quality of our orbit solution is comparable to that of the POE solution computed by the CNES. In this paper we will discuss three important changes in our POD activities that have brought the orbit performance to this level. The improvements concern the way we implement temporal gravity accelerations observed by GRACE; the implementation of ITRF2014 coordinates and velocities for the DORIS beacons and the SLR tracking sites. We also discuss an adjustment of the SLR retroreflector position within the satellite reference frame. An unexpected result is that we find a systematic difference between the median of the 10 s Doppler tracking residuals which displays a statistically significant pattern in the South Atlantic Anomaly (SSA) area where the median of the velocity residuals varies in the range of ?0.15 to +0.15?mm/s.     

Application of satellite observations to study the changes of hypoxic conditions in near-bottom water in the western part of Peter the Great Bay (the Sea of Japan)

In this paper we explore the possibilities of applying satellite ocean colour (OC) observations and SST to study the changes in the conditions of hypoxia in the near-bottom water in the western part of Peter the Great Bay. Near-bottom water hypoxia occurs in water bodies with increased organic matter influx when the dissolved oxygen (DO) consumed at its oxidation is not restored. Consumption of most DO is usually attributed to the oxidation of organic matter formed as a result of increased algae growth during water eutrophication. Satellite data on indicators of phytoplankton (chlorophyll-a concentration (Chl) and fluorescence (FLH)) allow to analyze the spatial-temporal changes of this substation. Coloured dissolved organic matter (CDOM), non-algal particles (NAP) influence on satellite Chl estimates and also on near-bottom water hypoxia formation. This study analyzes daily, seasonal, and inter-annual changes in the distributions of indicators (Chl, FLH, the coefficients of light absorption by coloured detrital matter (a_CDM) and light backscattering by suspended particles (b_bp)), based on the instant satellite OC data from MODIS-Aqua. Data on the Chl, the sea surface temperature (SST) from the MODIS-Aqua, the precipitation from the TRMM satellite and the hydrometeorological stations (HMSs), the wind speed and direction from HMS “Vladivostok” are used to study the influence of hydrometeorological conditions on the Chl values. These distributions were compared with the literary information based on field observations of the hypoxia cases in the same area and with the changes in the vertical DO, Chl, temperature, salinity distribution obtained by coastal expeditions in October-November 2010 and February-March 2011. Significant interrelations within 95% confidence level between the satellite Chl, FLH values calculated at the MUMM atmospheric correction and in situ Chl values obtained in the autumn of 2010 were reached separately for the cases with winds of northern and southern directions with the correlation coefficients of 0.71, 0.48 and 0.49, 0.71, respectively. Significant dependences of Chl on SST and Chl on wind speed explained by the influence of continental runoff and water ventilation were obtained. Therefore, the changes of Chl reflect the changes of hypoxic conditions in the near-bottom water. In Amursky Bay the onset of hypoxia was at the Chl and SST values equal to 4 mg m^?3 and 13 °C (↑ – at increasing SST); near Furugelm Island it was at 1.6 mg m^?3 and 25 °C (↑), 1 mg m^?3 and 21 °C (↓). The difference in the Chl values was reflected in the hypoxia onset timings that were the beginning of June (2011), August (2013), and September (2014), respectively. The water flow from the eastern coast of Amursky Bay in early August of 2013 recorded from the OC and SST satellite imagers appeared in an additional hypoxic zone. Decreased OC characteristics in the runoff of the Razdolnaya River in August-September of 2014 were a sign of hypoxia at its mouth. Near Furugelm Island the hypoxia destruction (increase in the DO level from 1 to 4.5 ml L^?1) was observed at the Chl of 0.9 mg m^?3 and SST = 18 °C (↓). At the autumn maximum of Chl equal to 1.7 mg m^?3 and SST = 4 °C (↓) in mid-November the DO level here increased to 8 ml L^?1. In Amursky Bay, short-term destructions/weakening of hypoxia manifested themselves in sharp increases of Chl. At that, the ratio between the Chl value and the approximation level was equal to 2 and higher for SST equal to 22–25 °C (↑), to 0.9 and higher for SST equal to 5–13 °C (↓). With the water stratification destruction in temperature and the noticeable weakening of the stratification in salinity (mid-November), the hypoxia destructed (the DO level increased from 2 to 6 ml L^?1). In this case, Chl and SST were about 3 mg m^?3 and 5 °C (↓).     

Correction model of BDS satellite-induced code bias and its impact on precise point positioning

There are code biases on the pseudo-range observations of the Beidou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) that range in size from several decimeters to larger than one meter. These biases can be divided into two categories, which are the code biases in the pseudo-range observations of Inclined Geo-Synchronous Orbit (IGSO) satellites and Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) satellites and the code biases in the pseudo-range observations of Geosynchronous Earth Orbit (GEO) satellites. In view of the code bias of the IGSO/MEO satellites, the code bias correction model is established using the weighted least square curve fitting method. After the correction, the code biases of the IGSO and MEO satellites are clearly mitigated. A methodology of correcting GEO code bias is proposed based on the empirical mode decomposition (EMD)-wavelet transform (WT) coupled model. The accuracies of the GEO multipath combination of the B1, B2 and B3 frequencies are improved by 39.9%, 17.9%, and 29.4%, respectively. Based on the corrections above, the ten days observations of three Multi-GNSS Experiment (MGEX) stations are processed. The results indicate that the convergence time of the precise point positioning (PPP) can be improved remarkably by applying a code bias. The mean convergence time can be improved by 14.67% after the IGSO/MEO code bias correction. By applying the GEO code bias, the mean convergence time can be further improved by 17.42%.