Deorbiter CubeSat mission design

This paper presents the mission design for a CubeSat-based active debris removal approach intended for transferring sizable debris objects from low-Earth orbit to a deorbit altitude of 100 km. The mission consists of a mothership spacecraft that carries and deploys several debris-removing nanosatellites, called Deorbiter CubeSats. Each Deorbiter is designed based on the utilization of an eight-unit CubeSat form factor and commercially-available components with significant flight heritage. The mothership spacecraft delivers Deorbiter CubeSats to the vicinity of a predetermined target debris, through performing a long-range rendezvous maneuver. Through a formation flying maneuver, the mothership then performs in-situ measurements of debris shape and orbital state. Upon release from the mothership, each Deorbiter CubeSat proceeds to performing a rendezvous and attachment maneuver with a debris object. Once attached to the debris, the CubeSat performs a detumbling maneuver, by which the residual angular momentum of the CubeSat-debris system is dumped using Deorbiter’s onboard reaction wheels. After stabilizing the attitude motion of the combined Deorbiter-debris system, the CubeSat proceeds to performing a deorbiting maneuver, i.e., reducing system’s altitude so much so that the bodies disintegrate and burn up due to atmospheric drag, typically at around 100 km above the Earth surface. The attitude and orbital maneuvers that are planned for the mission are described, both for the mothership and Deorbiter CubeSat. The performance of each spacecraft during their operations is investigated, using the actual performance specifications of the onboard components. The viability of the proposed debris removal approach is discussed in light of the results.     

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.     

一种可伸缩空间机械臂及其应用分析

介绍一种能够完成多关节型空间机械臂所能承担的大部分空间任务 ,而且应用更简便的可伸缩空间机械臂 ,对其空间应用做出了一些设想 ,简单讨论了其应用的一些相关问题 ,肯定了其可行性和实用性。     

航天器回收用静压高度控制器的研制

静压高度控制器是载人飞船启动回收着陆系统的关键部件,也是返回式卫星和其它航天器回收系统启动信号的一种方式,其经受恶劣环境,性能、要求高。静压高度控制器又分为膜盒式和硅压力式,文章主要论述了硅压力静压高度控制器在回收系统中的作用,主要介绍了它的工作原理和组成,研制中解决的电路、结构及可靠性方面的问题,并给出了试验结果和研制结论。     

区域极点及方差约束下的航天器拦截控制：静态输出反馈情形

本文提出并讨论了具有选通窗约束的航天器拦截控制问题，指出航天器拦截控制的稳暂态性能指标可表现为系统稳态状态方差及闭环区域极点的形式。然后，基于配置控制的思想，本文完整地给出了期望静态反馈控制器的存在条件及其解析表达式，并举例说明所提设计方法的直接性与有效性     

变轨发动机不等量截尾试验可靠度评估

对于可靠度要求极高和任务时间以小时计的变轨发动机来说，目前广泛采用以铌合金为材料并喷涂以抗高温氧化涂层方案的推力室，这一类发动机在方案试验阶段结束后的研制试验中往往只出现截尾试验的结果。给出了不等量截尾试验结果的可靠度评估方案。     

卫星交会的自主导航技术

论述卫星交会自主导航的飞行任务背景和概念 ,综述国内外学者正在进行探索研究的思路 ,以期引起国内学者的的注意、探讨和深入研究。     

星光折射航天器自主定轨方案比较

当星光透射大气发生折射时 ,用星光折射角精确地反映星光在大气中离地球表面的高度 ,并建立高度、航天器与地球的几何关系。通过对折射角进行观测 ,间接测得地平 ,从而改善了用地平仪直接测地平所造成的航天器自主导航精度低的不足。本文提出了几种利用星光折射的航天器自主定轨方案 ,并作了细致的仿真实验 ,对直接和间接两种测量地平方法以及几种星光折射自主定轨方案进行了分析比较。     

空气压强对激光推进器冲量耦合系数影响

设计并加工了激光推进器实验模型,以空气为推进工质,利用脉冲式CO2激光器,研究了空气压强对激光推进器冲量耦合系数影响。实验结果表明,空气压强对激光推进器性能有显著影响。在文中实验条件下,当空气压强大于6 kPa时,激光推进器冲量耦合系数随压强减小而减少较慢;当空气压强小于6 kPa时,激光推进器冲量耦合系数随压强减小而减少很快。