Adjustable box-wing model for solar radiation pressure impacting GPS satellites

One of the major uncertainty sources affecting Global Positioning System (GPS) satellite orbits is the direct solar radiation pressure. In this paper a new model for the solar radiation pressure on GPS satellites is presented that is based on a box-wing satellite model, and assumes nominal attitude. The box-wing model is based on the physical interaction between solar radiation and satellite surfaces, and can be adjusted to fit the GPS tracking data.     

Sensor-fault tolerant attitude determination using two-stage estimator

Satellite attitude determination accuracy significantly drops when sensor-fault occurs. Hence, a proper mitigation strategy to detect sensor-fault and accurately estimate corresponding fault magnitudes is mandatory for robust and accurate attitude determination. In this paper, a novel sensor-fault tolerant precise attitude estimator is proposed consisting of two stages. In the first stage, sensor-fault is detected, and the associated sensor parameter change is roughly estimated using an interacting multiple-model (IMM) approach. Subsequently, the second stage is triggered. The sensor parameter change is precisely estimated with a new sensor-parameter-augmented filter. This is defined as a selectively augmented extended Kalman filter (SAEKF) in this paper. The conventional augmented extended Kalman filter (AEKF) is computationally more expensive than the proposed SAEKF. The SAEKF augments only the sensor parameters affected by sensor-faults, not the full sensor parameters, into the state vector. This leads to a significant computational time-saving. A transition method from the first stage to the second stage is also investigated. Numerical simulation results demonstrate that the proposed two-stage approach has smaller attitude determination errors than the existing algorithms, ranged from 21.7% to 88.8%, in cases with gyro scale factor error or misalignment.     

Spin rate and spin axis orientation of LARES spectrally determined from Satellite Laser Ranging data

Satellite Laser Ranging (SLR) is a powerful technique able to measure spin rate and spin axis orientation of the fully passive, geodetic satellites. This work presents results of the spin determination of LARES – a new satellite for testing General Relativity. 529 SLR passes measured between February 17 and June 9, 2012, were spectrally analyzed. Our results indicate that the initial spin frequency of LARES is f₀ = 86.906 mHz (RMS = 0.539 mHz). A new method for spin axis determination, developed for this analysis, gives orientation of the axis at RA = 12^h22^m48^s (RMS = 49^m), Dec = −70.4° (RMS = 5.2°) (J2000.0 celestial reference frame), and the clockwise (CW) spin direction. The half-life period of the satellite’s spin is 214.924 days and indicates fast slowing down of the spacecraft.     

A star identification algorithm based on radial and dynamic cyclic features of star pattern

A full-sky star identification algorithm based on radial and dynamic cyclic patterns is presented with the aim of solving the “lost-in-space” problem. The dynamic cyclic pattern match is applied with a maximum cumulate comparison method to identify sensor-catalog pairings in initial match, which substantially eliminates the effects of the star position noise, magnitude noise, and false stars. After initial match pairings of stars are obtained, a chain part extension technique is employed to quickly search for the longest match chain as the final result. Experimental results indicate that the proposed algorithm is highly robust to star position noise, magnitude noise and false stars. In a series of simulations, the identification rate of the algorithm is 97.50% with 2.0 pixels star position noise, 96.90% with 0.4 Mv star magnitude noise and 95.30% with four false stars respectively. Moreover, the algorithm achieves an identification rate of 58.08% when only six stars are in the field of view.     

Autonomous orbit determination using epoch-differenced gravity gradients and starlight refraction

Autonomous orbit determination via integration of epoch-differenced gravity gradients and starlight refraction is proposed in this paper for low-Earth-orbiting satellites operating in GPS-denied environments.Starlight refraction compensates for the significant along-track position error that occurs from only using gravity gradients and benefits from integration in terms of improved accuracy in radial and cross-track position estimates.The between-epoch differencing of gravity gradients is employed to eliminate slowly varying measurement biases and noise near the orbit revolution frequency.The refraction angle measurements are directly used and its Jacobian matrix derived from an implicit observation equation.An information fusion filter based on a sequential extended Kalman filter is developed for the orbit determination.Truth-model simulations are used to test the performance of the algorithm,and the effects of differencing intervals and orbital heights are analyzed.A semi-simulation study using actual gravity gradient data from the Gravity field and steady-state Ocean Circulation Explorer (GOCE) combined with simulated starlight refraction measurements is further conducted,and a three-dimensional position accuracy of better than 100 m is achieved.     

直升机主最低设备清单的确定

为提高民用直升机的利用率和经济性,可编制主最低设备清单(MMEL).根据AC313型机MMEL项目的经验,总结出民用直升机MMEL的确定逻辑决断程序,并探讨MMEL在军用直升机上的应用前景.     

动力学补偿受控卫星轨道确定算法(英文)

受控卫星动力学模型中推力加速度的量级远远高于其他摄动的误差量级,观测量主要反映受控卫星动力学模型的误差。本文以跟踪和精确定位空间机动目标为目的,给出基于地面雷达观测,实时估计推力加速度,修正卫星动力学模型的轨道确定算法。通过建立连续推力控制过程变质量动力学模型,给出常推力变加速度满足的运动学微分方程; 建立变加速度估计系统状态方程,和扩展卡尔曼滤波轨道确定算法; 并给出连续推力控制卫星运动状态关于推力加速度的变分运动方程; 实际飞行控制应用表明: 利用地面测量数据,实时估计推力加速度并补偿系统动力学模型,解决了连续受控卫星轨道精确确定问题。     

基于双目视觉的相对状态自主确定

基于双目视觉系统提出了一种适于交会对接最后阶段的近距离绕飞的相对状态自主确定方法。用修正罗德里格参数(MRP)描述姿态,给出了追踪器与目标器间的相对姿态运动学与动力学方程,以及相对运动方程,根据双目视觉系统的小孔成像原理建立了双目系统的测量数学模型,由扩展卡尔曼滤波(EKF)获得两航天器的相对位姿及其变化率。仿真结果表明该法可行。     

导航星座不完整对星间自主定轨几何精度因子的影响

星间自主定轨是星座自主导航的关键技术. 在系统建设初期未完成全星座组网、卫星出现故障或受损等情况下, 部分卫星缺失将导致导航星座不完整, 其对星间自主定轨性能的影响值得研究. 本文在提出逐卫星加权最小二乘自主定轨估计方法的基础上, 引入几何精度因子作为衡量星座不完整影响卫星自主定轨性能的指标, 最后以Galileo星座为例进行了仿真与分析. 结果表明, Galileo星座中卫星进行自主定轨时其可视卫星的冗余度较高, 少数卫星缺失不会对星间自主定轨的几何精度因子产生明显影响. 只有当星座缺失卫星数达2/3时, 会使得部分卫星的几何精度因子超差, 卫星自主定轨性能明显下降.      

基于机动平台序列图像的空间飞行器定轨技术研究

针对机动观测平台单目光学成像系统的特点,在不能测定目标飞行器位置和速度的前提下,通过对成像系统与空间飞行器空间关系的分析,提出了视平均运动角速度与真平均运动角速度的概念,并构建了关于二者的约束方程,实现了基于测角数据的观测斜距的估计,从而解算出定轨所需的初始状态参数。基于观测斜距估计的轨道确定方法把对空间飞行器的定轨问题,归结为根据图像序列计算目标测角和根据测角数据确定观测斜距,解决了利用空间单目光学成像数据的定轨问题,并以高轨卫星为实例对定轨精度进行了仿真验证。