Criteria for developing and testing Transparency and Confidence-Building Measures (TCBMs) for outer space activities

Space systems play an important role in sustaining the development, prosperity and security of many nations. As more nations become critically reliant on space systems, questions of maintaining safety and strategic stability in outer space have come to the fore. Transparency and Confidence-Building Measures (TCBMs) for outer space activities have an important role to play in providing clarity about the intentions of States and in articulating norms of behaviour in outer space. TCBMs take several forms. They may be the elaboration of basic principles related to the exploration and use of outer space, political measures related to establishing norms of conduct, information-sharing activities to improve the transparency of outer space activities, operational practices which demonstrate a commitment to mutual cooperation in outer space, or consultative mechanisms. We present an analytical framework for evaluating potential TCBMs and illustrate the application of this framework to examples of potential operational, regulatory, treaty-based and declaratory TCBMs.     

适用于遥感器遮光罩的复合材料及工艺研究

针对空间遥感器系统的发展演变,分析了遮光罩所用材料体系的变化情况,重点总结了高性能纤维增强树脂基复合材料在空间遥感器遮光罩中的应用情况。从工程化应用水平来看,目前尚处于在替代传统材料满足型号产品需求的较低阶段,本文简要归纳了其中存在的主要问题。针对蜂窝夹层结构、光阑结构、薄壁壳体结构等不同类型的空间遥感器遮光罩,本文介绍了其所适用的复合材料及其成型工艺。同时,结合材料选择、设计工艺性、工艺设计等工程化应用中的关键环节,作了尝试性地探讨,并对高性能纤维增强树脂基复合材料的实际应用效果进行了评价。最后,就未来空间遥感器系统的发展对材料工艺的需求作了展望。     

空间目标编目维持中的观测需求确定方法研究

针对空间目标探测中观测计划制定业务面临的目标观测需求确定问题,首先分析影响目标观测需求确定的因素,据此进行精度指标确定分析,然后结合一类目标,在进行“圈／站／天”组合精度分析的基础上,提出动态观测需求确定方法,并阐述其运行机制。     

微重力条件下热管吸热器瞬态热分析

基于微重力条件下的导热控制微分方程,采用焓法对热管吸热器相变材料容器进行了二维数值建模与仿真,在同时考虑空穴和相变的情况下,对微重力条件下蓄热单元相变传热进行了模拟计算,分析了空穴率对蓄热容器内部的温度场和热性能的影响,并将计算结果同美国航空航天局（NASA）方案热管吸热器蓄热单元相变传热计算结果进行了比较,验证了文中微重力条件下计算模型的合理性与准确性。研究结果表明：空穴影响着蓄热单元相变的进程,空穴的存在增加了容器内部的温度梯度,使得容器的蓄热能力降低;由于热管径向温差较小,热管壁温在相变材料熔点附近变化较小,从而在一定程度上能缓解热斑和热松脱现象。     

多旋转关节空间太阳能电站概念方案设计

对于国际上典型的空间太阳能电站概念方案进行了分析,在此基础上提出了一种新的概念方案--多旋转关节空间太阳能电站,并给出总体构型和主要分系统初步方案设计结果。该方案采用多个相互独立的太阳电池子阵代替了传统的整体式太阳电池阵,以多个中等功率的导电旋转关节替代传统的极高功率的旋转关节,不仅解决了传统空间太阳能电站方案中的极大功率导电旋转关节技术难题,还可以避免导电关节的单点失效问题,模块化的设计也使得系统的组装和构建更加可行。     

基于等效质量的太空机械臂多体系统碰撞分析

从等效质量角度出发,针对不同的操作环境,提出多体系统离散碰撞动力学建模及连续碰撞动力学建模方法,并分析碰撞对系统造成的影响。首先,由系统动力学方程及能量方程推导出太空机械臂末端等效质量,在此基础上,针对刚/柔环境,分别建立多体系统离散碰撞动力学模型和连续碰撞动力学模型,并针对七种连续碰撞模型提出选取标准,以便更真实地模拟实际碰撞过程。最后,以典型的太空七自由度机械臂为例开展仿真试验,两种方法的对比结果校验了该算法的正确性。     

Fuel-optimal deorbit scheme of space debris using tethered space-tug based on pseudospectral method

This paper proposes a fuel-optimal deorbit scheme for space debris deorbit using tethered space tug. The scheme contains three stages named respectively as dragging, maintenance and swinging. In the first stage, the tug, propelled by continuous thrust, tows deorbit to a transfer orbit with a tether. Then in the second stage, the combination of the tug and the debris flies unpowered and uncontrolled to a swing point on the transfer orbit. Finally, in the third stage, the tug is propelled at the swing point and the rotation speed of the tethered system increases such that the debris obtains enough velocity increment. The trajectory optimization of the first stage is established considering the total fuel consumption of the three stages, whereas the dynamic model is simplified for computation efficiency. The solution to the optimal problem is obtained using a direct method based on Gauss pesudospectral discretization. Then a model predictive controller is designed to track the open-loop optimal reference trajectories, reducing the states’ deviations caused by model simplification and ignorance of perturbations. Furthermore, it is proved that the fuel-optimal swing point is the apogee of the transfer orbit. The paper analyzes the fuel consumption of a typical scenario and demonstrates effectiveness of the proposed deorbit scheme numerically.     

Review of in-space assembly technologies

With the rapid development of space technology and the increasing demand for space missions, the traditional spacecraft manufacturing, deployment and launch methods have been unable to meet existing needs. In-space assembly (ISA) technologies can effectively adapt to the assembly of large space structures, improve spacecraft performance, and reduce operating costs. In this paper, the development and technologies for ISA are reviewed. ISA is classified from multiple angles, and the research status of ISA is shown clearly through the visual mapping knowledge domain. Then the development status of autonomous robot assembly in the United States, Europe, Japan, Canada and China is reviewed. Furthermore, the key technologies of ISA are analyzed from three aspects: assembly structure design, robot technologies and integrated management technologies. ISA technologies are still facing major challenges and need to be further explored to promote future development. Finally, future development trends and potential applications of ISA are given, which show that ISA will play a vital role in human space exploration in the future.     

On the practical exploitation of perturbative effects in low Earth orbit for space debris mitigation

This paper presents the results of a numerical evaluation of the natural lifetime reduction in low Earth orbit, due to dynamical perturbations. The study considers two values for the area-to-mass ratio, a nominal ratio which resembles a typical value of spacecraft in orbit today, and an enhanced ratio which covers the surface augmentation. The results were obtained with two orbit propagators, one of a semi-analytical nature and the second one using non-averaged equations of motion. The simulations for both propagators were set up similarly to allow comparison. They both use the solar radiation pressure and the secular terms of the geopotential ($J_2,J_4$ and $J_6$). The atmospheric drag was turned on and off in both propagators to alternatively study the eccentricity build up and the residual lifetime. The non-averaging case also covers a validation with the full 6?×?6 geopotential. The results confirm the findings in previous publications, that is, the possibility for de-orbiting from altitudes above the residual atmosphere if a solar sail is deployed at the end-of-life, due to the combined effect of solar radiation pressure and the oblateness of the Earth. At near polar inclinations, shadowing effects can be exploited to the same end. The results obtained with the full, non-averaging propagator revealed additional de-orbiting corridors associated with solar radiation pressure which were not found by previous work on space debris mitigation. The results of both tools are compared for specific initial conditions. For nominal values of area-to-mass ratio, instead, it is confirmed that this resonance effect is negligible.The paper then puts the findings in the perspective of the current satellite catalogue. It identifies space missions which are currently close to a resonance corridor and shows the orbit evolution within the resonances with a significantly shorter residual orbital lifetime. The paper finishes with a discussion on the exploitation of these effects with regards to the long-term simulation of the space debris environment and a flux and collision probability comparison.     

Study of the radiation fields in LEO with the Space Application of Timepix Radiation Monitor (SATRAM)

We present the analysis of data taken by the Space Application of Timepix Radiation Monitor (SATRAM). It is centred on a Timepix detector (300?$\mathrm{\mu }$m thick silicon sensor, pixel pitch 55?$\mathrm{\mu }$m, 256?×?256 pixels). It was flown on Proba-V, an Earth observing satellite of the European Space Agency (ESA) from an altitude of 820?km on a sun-synchronous orbit, launched on May 7, 2013. A Monte Carlo simulation was conducted to determine the detector response to electrons (0.5–7?MeV) and protons (10–400?MeV) in an omnidirectional field taking into account the shielding of the detector housing and the satellite. With the help of the simulation, a strategy was developed to separate electrons, protons and ions in the data. The measured dose rate and stopping power distribution are presented as well as SATRAM’s capability to measure some of the stronger events in Earth’s magnetosphere. The stopping power, the cluster height and the shape of the particle tracks in the sensor were used to separate electrons, protons and ions. The results are presented as well. Finally, the pitch angles for a short period of time were extracted from the data and corrected with the angular response determined by the simulation.