LARES successfully launched in orbit: Satellite and mission description

On February 13th 2012, the LARES satellite of the Italian Space Agency (ASI) was launched into orbit with the qualification flight of the new VEGA launcher of the European Space Agency (ESA). The payload was released very accurately in the nominal orbit. The name LARES means LAser RElativity Satellite and summarises the objective of the mission and some characteristics of the satellite. It is, in fact, a mission designed to test Einstein's General Relativity Theory (specifically ‘frame-dragging' and Lense-Thirring effect). The satellite is passive and covered with optical retroreflectors that send back laser pulses to the emitting ground station. This allows accurate positioning of the satellite, which is important for measuring the very small deviations from Galilei–Newton's laws. In 2008, ASI selected the prime industrial contractor for the LARES system with a heavy involvement of the universities in all phases of the programme, from the design to the construction and testing of the satellite and separation system. The data exploitation phase started immediately after the launch under a new contract between ASI and those universities. Tracking of the satellite is provided by the International Laser Ranging Service. Due to its particular design, LARES is the orbiting object with the highest known mean density in the solar system. In this paper, it is shown that this peculiarity makes it the best proof particle ever manufactured. Design aspects, mission objectives and preliminary data analysis will be also presented.     

具有星间链路的导航星座重构研究

针对具有星间链路的导航星座在卫星节点或链路失效情况下的重构优化设计问题,提出了一种基于遗传算法的设计方法。首先,根据导航星座的功能需求与设计约束,建立了星座综合重构优化设计模型。其次,提出了基于遗传算法的综合优化设计方法,并根据问题特性对遗传算法的具体操作进行了修改。最后,应用该方法对Walker 24/3/2构型星座及网状星间网络在节点和链路混合故障模式下的重构进行了优化设计。结果表明,基于该方法重构后的星座与网络拓扑性能能够得到一定程度的改善,证明了方法的可行性。     

基于MPI的卫星遥感数据实时处理平台设计

针对高速率卫星遥感数据实时处理的要求,设计了一种卫星遥感数据实时处理平台。该平台采用分层设计思想,自上而下分为表现与控制层、业务处理层、基础服务层和应用支持层。结合消息传递接口(MPI)技术,构建了分布式实时并行处理平台框架。原型系统验证结果表明,该平台能处理下传码速率达450Mbit/s的双通道数据,单通道处理速率高达6Gbit/s。文章提出的平台设计应用于遥感卫星的地面检测系统,具有处理速度快、运行稳定的优点。     

卫星对地观测技术在防灾救灾中的作用研究

充分利用各种对地观测技术,从信息化的角度支持防灾救灾行动,已被列入政府的重要工作内容。总结前一阶段的经验,从灾前、灾期、灾后的全过程系统地考虑如何充分发挥卫星对地观测技术的防灾救灾作用,是一个值得研究的问题。文章从防灾预案、灾期救援和灾后重建三个方面研究了卫星对地观测技术在防灾救灾全过程中发挥作用的技术途径。     

不同GNSS在高纬度地区时间传递性能分析

全球卫星导航系统（GNSS）载波相位时间传递技术是高精度时间传递领域的主要研究方法之一，但目前关于该部分的研究主要集中在中低纬度地区，在高纬度地区并不多见。不同GNSS由于星座设计不同，在高纬度地区结构差异较大，因此需要对不同GNSS在高纬度地区的时间传递性能进行分析。实验结果表明，在高纬度地区时间传递中，Galileo稳定度最高，GPS和BDS次之，GLONASS最差。同时因在高纬度地区卫星的高度角普遍偏低，为合理平衡低高度角时可视卫星多和多路径误差大的矛盾，对不同截止高度角下获取的链路时间传递性能进行了分析。结果表明，在5°截止高度角下，高纬度地区的时间传递链路稳定性最好。     

Estimation of Galactic Cosmic Ray exposure inside and outside the Earth’s magnetosphere during the recent solar minimum between solar cycles 23 and 24

The evidently low solar activity observed between solar cycles 23 and 24 during the years 2008–2010 led to a substantial increase in the Galactic Cosmic Ray (GCR) intensity in comparison with preceding solar minima. As the GCRs consist of highly-ionizing charged particles having the potential to cause biological damage, they are a subject of concern for manned missions to space. With the enhanced particle fluxes observed between 2008 and 2010, it is reasonable to assume that the radiation exposure from GCR must have also increased to unusually high levels. In this paper, the GCR exposure outside and inside the Earth’s magnetosphere is numerically calculated for time periods starting from 1970 to the end of 2011 in order to investigate the increase in dose levels during the years 2008–2010 in comparison with the last three solar minima. The dose rates were calculated in a water sphere, used as a surrogate for the human body, either unshielded or surrounded by aluminium shielding of 0.3, 10 or 40 g/cm².     

小卫星“微型核”CMOS功率放大器设计

在以往的小卫星设计中,构成卫星的最基本单元大都是由分立的元器件组成。本文采用SMIC 0．18μm Si CMOS工艺,设计了一种用于星载信息电子系统的高效率功率放大器,在3．3V电源电压下,输入功率为0dBm时,输出功率为21．4dBm,附加功率效率为60％,输入端反射系数S11=-35dB,可满足星载信息电子系统要求。     

TDRSS中用户星的星-星天线跟踪规律深入研究

应用坐标转换，得到用户星的星-星天线基本跟踪规律。针对几种情况，并考虑地球的隔断影响和天线的自身限制，对星一星天线的方位角和俯仰角表达式进行了修正和补充。最后，针对某用户星，应用Matlab进行数学仿真。结果表明，根据得出的跟踪规律，可以使用户星的星一星天线最大范围地跟踪中继卫星。     

全球导航完好性通道（GNIC）方案讨论

国际民航组织(ICAO)将采纳 GPS GLONASS INMARSAT 联合组成的 GNSS 系统供全球导航使用。对系统的增强和完好性监控是至关重要的问题。本文介绍近年来提出的各种地面完好性监控通道(GIC)的方案,包括地面监测台网、地面数据传输的通信链路和卫星转发。重点阐述 INMARSAT 提出的静止卫星加发导航信号的重叠(IGO)概念和全球性完好性监测台网(IMN)。然后进行比较和讨论,并提出需进一步跟踪研究。     

卫星导航新进展及对民用航空的影响

近十年来，卫星导航在军事、民用许多方面取得了令人瞩目的成就，美国1998年发表了GPS现代化公告，俄罗斯、欧盟、中国等国家也相继部署或制定了导航卫星计划。本文阐述了卫星导航近年来的新发展，并分析了它们对民用航空的影响。