Onboard orbit determination using GPS observations based on the unscented Kalman filter

Spaceborne GPS receivers are used for real-time navigation by most low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites. In general, the position and velocity accuracy of GPS navigation solutions without a dynamic filter are 25 m (1σ) and 0.5 m/s (1σ), respectively. However, GPS navigation solutions, which consist of position, velocity, and GPS receiver clock bias, have many abnormal excursions from the normal error range for space operation. These excursions lessen the accuracy of attitude control and onboard time synchronization. In this research, a new onboard orbit determination algorithm designed with the unscented Kalman filter (UKF) was developed to improve the performance. Because the UKF is able to obtain the posterior mean and covariance accurately by using the second-order Taylor series expansion through the sampled sigma points that are propagated by using the true nonlinear system, its performance can be better than that of the extended Kalman filter (EKF), which uses the linearized state transition matrix to predict the covariance. The dynamic models for orbit propagation applied perturbations due to the 40 × 40 geo-potential, the gravity of the Sun and Moon, solar radiation pressure, and atmospheric drag. The 7(8)th-order Runge–Kutta numerical integration was applied for orbit propagation. Two types of observations, navigation solutions and C/A code pseudorange, can be used at the user’s discretion. The performances of the onboard orbit determination were verified using real GPS data of the CHAMP and KOMPSAT-2 satellites. The results of the orbit determination were compared with the precision orbit ephemeris (POE) of the CHAMP and KOMPSAT-2 satellites.     

天基照相跟踪空间碎片批处理轨道确定研究

随着国内外天基观测空间碎片研究的展开,文章提出了利用跟踪卫星的CCD(Charge
Coupled Device)相机对空间碎片进行轨道探测的方法,首先建立了CCD照相观测模型和基于 照相观测 的空间碎片批处理轨道确定模型。通过对CCD相机底片归算方法的分析可知,利用
CCD相机所获得的观测数据与跟踪卫星的姿态无关,且其精度只与测量和坐标转换计算的精 度有关,在测量和计算中可获得较高的精度。分别对分布密度较高的低轨道和地球同步 轨道区域的空间碎片进行了定轨分析。仿真结果表明,定轨时采用两个跟踪弧段的照相数据 定轨精度大大高于一个弧段照相数据的定轨精度;跟踪卫星距离空间碎片越近,定轨精度越 高;低轨道空间碎片的定轨精度高于地球同步轨道上的空间碎片定轨精度。
     

一种星下点精确重访约束下的轨道设计方法

针对给定星下点的精确重访轨道设计,提出了一种已知两星下点精确重访约束下的圆回归轨道设计方法。分析了卫星的地心矢量同星下点地心矢量的关系,将精确星下点重访约束轨道设计问题转换为惯性坐标系内的一个动矢量同动坐标系内一个定矢量在惯性系下的重合问题。建立了不同轨道参数各自对应的目标函数,通过对目标函数零点的搜寻确定相应轨道参数,完成轨道设计。计算及仿真结果表明,所提出的构造目标函数并搜索零点的方法能够设计出满足约束条件的轨道,达到了预期目标。     

采用弱攻角补偿与脱敏设计的火星进入段制导

为提升火星进入段存在多种扰动时的制导末端精度,在现有三自由度脱敏设计的基础上,提出针对大气密度及升阻力系数波动的弱攻角补偿方法。通过攻角调整,协调升、阻力加速度测量值相对理论计算值的偏离程度,使加权形式的偏离程度指标趋近于1,从而降低气动参数波动对制导精度的影响。相平面分析和反证法证明了攻角调整过程的稳定性。蒙特卡洛仿真结果表明,该方法可达到较高的纵向末端状态精度。     

一种近地航天器脉冲星地固系动力学定轨方法

为改善近地航天器脉冲星导航的定轨精度,设计一种地固系动力学定轨方法。该方法结合了更精确的地球引力场模型,在求地球引力势梯度基础上引入惯性力,建立了地固系下轨道动力学方程;并结合脉冲相位量测,使用扩展卡尔曼滤波实现航天器轨道参数实时估计。此方法可以降低动力学方程非线性度,尤其适用于地球静止轨道卫星。通过数学仿真校验了新方法的有效性与精度。     

深空探测中多普勒的建模与应用

针对深空探测中的多普勒观测资料的单程和三程模式,分别给出了瞬时和积分的观测模型,双程多普勒观测模型是三程模式的一个特殊情况.通过比较瞬时和积分多普勒的差异,推断在积分周期取得足够小时,瞬时观测模型与积分模型是一致的.利用2009年8月份对火星探测器MEX的三程多普勒测轨资料的处理,检验了三程多普勒资料观测模型的正确性,利用约一个圈次8小时三程多普勒数据进行轨道计算,定轨结果与欧空局重建轨道位置差约几百米.     

Feasibility of performing space surveillance tasks with a proposed space-based optical architecture

Under ESA contract an industrial consortium including Aboa Space Research Oy (ASRO), the Astronomical Institute of the University of Bern (AIUB), and the Dutch National Aerospace Laboratory (NLR), proposed the observation concept, developed a suitable sensor architecture, and assessed the performance of a space-based optical (SBO) telescope in 2005. The goal of the SBO study was to analyse how the existing knowledge gap in the space debris population in the millimetre and centimetre regime may be closed by means of a passive optical instrument. The SBO instrument was requested to provide statistical information on the space debris population in terms of number of objects and size distribution. The SBO instrument was considered to be a cost-efficient with 20 cm aperture and 6° field-of-view and having flexible integration requirements. It should be possible to integrate the SBO instrument easily as a secondary payload on satellites launched into low-Earth orbits (LEO), or into geostationary orbit (GEO). Thus the selected mission concept only allowed for fix-mounted telescopes, and the pointing direction could be requested freely. Since 2007 ESA focuses space surveillance and tracking activities in the Space Situational Awareness (SSA) preparatory program. Ground-based radars and optical telescopes are studied for the build-up and maintenance of a catalogue of objects. In this paper we analyse how the proposed SBO architecture could contribute to the space surveillance tasks survey and tracking. We assume that the SBO instrumentation is placed into a circular sun-synchronous orbit at 800 km altitude. We discuss the observation conditions of objects at higher altitude, and select an orbit close to the terminator plane. A pointing of the sensor orthogonal to the orbital plane with optimal elevation slightly in positive direction (0° and +5°) is found optimal for accessing the entire GEO regime within one day, implying a very good coverage of controlled objects in GEO, too. Simulations using ESA’s Program for Radar and Optical Observation Forecasting (PROOF) in the version 2005 and a GEO reference population extracted from DISCOS revealed that the proposed pointing scenario provides low phase angles together with low angular velocities of the objects crossing the field-of-view. Radiometric simulations show that the optimal exposure time is 1–2 s, and that spherical objects in GEO with a diameter of below 1 m can be detected. The GEO population can be covered under proper illumination nearly completely, but seasonal drops of the coverage are possible. Subsequent observations of objects are on average at least every 1.5 days, not exceeding 3 days at maximum. A single observation arc spans 3° to 5° on average. Using a simulation environment that connects PROOF to AIUB’s program system CelMech we verify the consistency of the initial orbit determination for five selected test objects on subsequent days as a function of realistic astrometric noise levels. The initial orbit determination is possible. We define requirements for a correlator process essential for catalogue build-up and maintenance. Each single observation should provide an astrometric accuracy of at least 1”–1.5” so that the initially determined orbits are consistent within a few hundred kilometres for the semi-major axis, 0.01 for the eccentricity, and 0.1° for the inclination.     

CubeSail: A low cost CubeSat based solar sail demonstration mission

CubeSail is a nano-solar sail mission based on the 3U CubeSat standard, which is currently being designed and built at the Surrey Space Centre, University of Surrey. CubeSail will have a total mass of around 3 kg and will deploy a 5 × 5 m sail in low Earth orbit. The primary aim of the mission is to demonstrate the concept of solar sailing and end-of-life de-orbiting using the sail membrane as a drag-sail. The spacecraft will have a compact 3-axis stabilised attitude control system, which uses three magnetic torquers aligned with the spacecraft principle axis as well as a novel two-dimensional translation stage separating the spacecraft bus from the sail. CubeSail’s deployment mechanism consists of four novel booms and four-quadrant sail membranes. The proposed booms are made from tape-spring blades and will deploy the sail membrane from a 2U CubeSat standard structure. This paper presents a systems level overview of the CubeSat mission, focusing on the mission orbit and de-orbiting, in addition to the deployment, attitude control and the satellite bus.     

卫星导航系统天线阵接收机波束指向误差分析

研究表明：卫星导航系统阵元几何位置误差是影响波束指向误差的主要因素,而卫星和接收机位置误差则影响甚微,其中千米级的卫星位置误差以及接收机位置误差导致的波束指向误差不超过0.1°,而毫米级的阵元几何位置随机误差可导致典型7阵元天线阵波束指向误差达到几度。该研究成果可为卫星导航系统天线阵接收机的设计提供依据。     

基于逐步回归的模型误差估计及在天基测控系统中的应用研究

以双星定位系统的天基测控技术为应用背景,提出了一种能够自适应估计模 型误差的轨道确定方法。详细推导了观测模型中的系统误差形态,建立了能表征实际特征的 部分线性轨道改进模型,并利用二阶段法和核函数估计法对混合误差进行补偿,在此基础上 对补偿模型进行逐步回归分析,从中提取动力学模型误差,从而抑制了动力学模型误差的影 响,提高了轨道改进的精度。在本文的仿真环境下,部分线性轨道改进法能够有效抑制混合 误差对定轨精度的影响,提高天基测控的轨道确定精度。