Estimating the spin axis orientation of the Echostar-2 box-wing geosynchronous satellite

For the first time, the spin axis orientation of an inactive box-wing geosynchronous satellite has been estimated from ground-based optical photometric observations of Echostar-2’s specular reflections. Recent photometric light curves obtained of Echostar-2 over four years suggest that unusually bright and brief specular reflections were occurring twice within an observed spin period. These bright and brief specular reflections suggested two satellite surfaces with surface normals separated by approximately 180°. The geometry between the satellite, the Sun, and the observing location at the time of each of the brightest observed reflections, was used to estimate Echostar-2’s equatorial spin axis orientation coordinates. When considering prograde and retrograde rotation, Echostar-2’s spin axis orientation was estimated to have been located within 30° of either equatorial coordinate pole. Echostar-2’s spin axis was observed to have moved approximately 180° in right ascension, within a time span of six months, suggesting a roughly one year spin axis precession period about the satellite’s angular momentum vector.     

A Geosynchronous Orbit Search Strategy

Since more than 10 years there is evidence that small-size space debris is accumulating in the geosynchronous orbit (GEO), probably as the result of breakups. Two break-ups have been reported in GEO. The 1978 break-up of an EKRAN 2 satellite, SSN 10365, was identified in 1992, and in 1992 a Titan 3C Transtage, SSN 3432, break-up produced at least twenty observable pieces. Subsequently several nations performed optical surveys of the GEO region in the form of independent observation campaigns. Such surveys suffer from the fact that the field of view of optical telescopes is small compared with the total area covered by the GEO ring. As a consequence only a small volume of the orbital element-magnitude-space is covered by each individual survey. Results from these surveys are thus affected by observational biases and therefore difficult to compare. This paper describes the development of a common search strategy to overcome these limitations. The strategy optimizes the sampling for objects in orbits similar to the orbits of the known GEO population but does not exclude the detection of objects with other orbital planes. A properly designed common search strategy clearly eases the comparison of results from different groups and the extrapolation from the sparse (biased) samples to the entire GEO environment.     

GEO/IGSO混合区域导航星座的设计与优化算法

区域导航星座能够以较低成本和较短时间获得目标区域导航能力,且地球同步轨道是构建非极区区域导航星座的重要轨道类型.提出一种基于GEO(地球静止轨道)和IGSO(倾斜地球同步轨道)的区域导航星座设计方法.基于星下点轨迹特性构造对称星座设计参数和优化参数集,并考虑地球扁率长期摄动影响,计算星座轨道参数.以导航服务区的统计GD...     

双太阳翼GEO卫星在轨角动量管控方法

地球同步轨道(GEO)卫星在轨的主要环境干扰力矩为太阳光压力矩和重力梯度力矩,干扰力矩的累积效应表现为飞轮转速的变化,需要通过外力矩进行角动量卸载避免飞轮饱和。由于GEO磁场极弱,卫星无法使用磁力矩卸载,只能通过喷气卸载,而喷气将对卫星轨道产生影响,因此需要尽可能延长卸载周期。针对配置双对称太阳电池阵GEO卫星的角动量管控需求,首先建立卫星在惯性空间中角动量积累模型,并映射到卫星本体系中,得到本体系中的角动量变化规律。通过飞轮在轨转速遥测数据,精确辨识获取环境干扰力矩特征参数,获得真实可靠的干扰模型。以角动量卸载周期最长为原则,基于在轨环境干扰模型制定角动量管控策略,并准确预估下次角动量卸载时间。经在轨数据处理与分析表明:提出的角动量管控策略,可有效将飞轮的角动量卸载周期提升为原来的2倍,有效提升卫星在轨应用效能,具有实际工程意义。     

适用于CEI的GEO卫星相时延解算方法及试验

为解决在实际航天任务中利用连线干涉测量(CEI)技术进行高精度GEO卫星定轨以及共位GEO卫星相对定位时面临的载波相位整周模糊度难题,提出了一种基于卫星下行信号的多弧段融合相位模糊度解算方法,它通过相邻多弧段载波相位值和窄带信号群时延值的融合处理可精确获得无模糊载波相时延观测量。对提出的方法进行了性能仿真和实际外场试验验证,结果表明：在20 km基线上,利用北斗GEO卫星的伪码测距信号和天链卫星的测控信号均成功实现了S频段解载波整周相位模糊,相时延测量精度优于0.1ns,对应GEO卫星定轨精度优于54 m。该方法在国内首次实现了在几十km基线量级上利用几百kHz窄带测控信号获得无模糊载波相时延,具有较好的工程应用前景。     

国外多模式霍尔电推进发展概况及启示

多模式霍尔电推进具有多个工作模式,调节能力强,相对于20世纪80年代以来广泛应用的只有一个工作模式的霍尔电推进器,其优势明显,能很好地适应诸如GEO卫星轨道转移和在轨位置保持,以及深空探测器和空间运输平台的主推进等多种任务,因此得到了广泛研究和应用.国外多模式霍尔电推进发展现状和趋势对我国多模式霍尔电推进的发展具有重要的启示作用.针对我国航天器对电推进的迫切任务需求,定量分析应用多模式霍尔电推进的收益,提出我国多模式霍尔电推进发展的建议.     

轨道面旋转角对GEO卫星广播星历参数拟合的影响

广播星历参数拟合是建立卫星导航系统的一项关键技术,星历用户算法的简洁高效直接决定了用户导航定位的效率。在基于GEO、IGSO和MEO三类卫星的北斗二代导航定位系统中,GEO卫星的广播星历参数拟合是迫切需要解决的难点之一。基于广播星历参数的最小二乘解法,推导出了轨道面旋转角对广播星历参数的影响表达式,分析了轨道面旋转角的大小对广播星历参数拟合稳定性的影响。计算结果表明,通过增加轨道面旋转角不仅很好地解决了GEO卫星广播星历参数超限的问题,而且确保了广播星历参数拟合算法的精度和可靠性。     

国外地球同步轨道遥感卫星发展初步研究

地球同步轨道遥感卫星因具备高时效性及持续探测能力等优势,已成为当前国际遥感卫星领域一个重要的发展方向。文章围绕地球同步轨道遥感卫星,重点针对光学、微波、电子侦察等国际地球同步轨道遥感卫星及卫星平台发展动态、发展趋势开展了调研与分析,梳理出国际发展情况对中国地球同步轨道遥感卫星领域发展的启示。文章从地球同步轨道遥感卫星领域发展战略的高度,进一步提出支撑该领域发展需重点突破的关键技术。     

高能电子对地球同步轨道卫星的影响分析

为了厘清在轨GEO(Geosynchronous Earth Orbit,地球同步轨道)卫星不时出现异常的原因,提高卫星执行任务的可靠性,首先从机理上介绍了空间环境中的地球辐射带及高能电子的情况,引出GEO卫星所处恶劣空间环境的现实;其次基于我国SEPC(Space Environment Prediction Center,国家空间环境预报中心)以及NSMC(National Satellite Meteorological Center,国家卫星气象中心)的空间环境月报资料,结合某GEO环境业务卫星故障的实际数据,经统计归纳,分析得出了地球辐射带中的高能电子是导致GEO卫星发生故障的主要原因;最后按照事例技术分析、常规按需预报和特殊情况下的实时预报等3个层次对高能电子预报方法进行了初步探讨。通过分析可以看出,为提高卫星完成任务的可靠性、降低长期管理风险,需要加强GEO卫星所处空间环境高能电子的预报工作。     

部署retro-GEO巡视器的月球借力飞行轨道分析

retro-GEO是指逆行(retrograde)地球静止轨道(geostationary Earth orbit,GEO),该轨道与GEO轨道高度相同或相近,但倾角为180°,安装在retro-GEO卫星上的巡视器可每12 h对GEO带空间资产附近碎片环境安全预警.直接西向发射retro-GEO卫星存在地面测控和发射...