Approach to inter-satellite time synchronization for micro-satellite cluster

Micro-satellite cluster enables a whole new class of missions for communications, remote sensing, and scientific research for both civilian and military purposes. Synchronizing the time of the satellites in a cluster is important for both cluster sensing capabilities and its autonomous operating. However, the existing time synchronization methods are not suitable for microsatellite cluster, because it requires too many human interventions and occupies too much ground control resource. Although, data post-process may realize the equivalent time synchronization, it requires processing time and powerful computing ability on the ground, which cannot be implemented by cluster itself. In order to autonomously establish and maintain the time benchmark in a cluster, we propose a compact time difference compensation system（TDCS）, which is a kind of time control loop that dynamically adjusts the satellite reference frequency according to the time difference. Consequently, the time synchronization in the cluster can be autonomously achieved on-orbit by synchronizing the clock of other satellites to a chosen one＇s. The experimental result shows that the standard deviation of time synchronization is about 102 ps when the carrier to noise ratio（CNR） is 95 d BHz, and the standard deviation of corresponding frequency difference is approximately0.36 Hz.

Approach to MAI cancellation for micro-satellite clusters

With the development of micro-satellite technology,traditional monolithic satellites can be replaced by micro-satellite clusters to achieve high flexibility and dynamic reconfiguration capability.For satellite clusters based on the frequency division-code division multiple access(FD-CDMA)communication system,the inter-satellite ranging precision is usually constrained due to the influence ofmulti-address interference(MAI).Themulti-user detection(MUD)is a solution to MAI,which can be divided into two categories:the linear detector(LD)and the non-linear detector(NLD).The general idea of the LD is aiming to make a better decision during the symbol decision process by using the information of all channels.However,it is not beneficial for the signal phase tracking precision.Instead,the principle of the NLD is to rebuild the interference signal and cancel it from the original one,which can improve the ranging performance at the expense of considerable delays.In order to enable simultaneous ranging and communication and reduce multi-node ranging performance degradation,this paper proposes an NLD scheme based on a delay locked loop(DLL),which simplifies the receiver structure and introduces no delay in the decision process.This scheme utilizes the information obtained from the interference channel to reconstruct the interference signal and then cancels it from the original delayed signal.Therefore,the DLL input signal-to-interference ratio(SIR)of the desired channel can be significantly improved.The experimental results show that with the proposed scheme,the standard deviation of the tracking steady error is decreased from 5.59 cm to 3.97 cm for SIR=5 dB,and 13.53 cm to 5.77 cm for SIR=-5 dB,respectively.

Proposal of Functional Thermal Control Systems for High-Power Micro-Satellite and Its Demonstration under Thermal Vacuum Condition

In previous years, several high-power micro-satellites below ~100 kg have been developed for high-functional spacecraft. This paper proposes a functional and high-power thermal control system with no power supply and a simple configuration for micro-satellite: 100 W, 3 U. The proposed system consists of a heat storage panel (HSP) with pitch type CFRP (Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer), a micro loop heat pipe (m-LHP) and a flexible re-deployable radiator (FRDR) as an active thermal control system. The aim of this research is to try not only to verify the thermal control devices, but also to perform a water phase change experiment as a payload using an electric power generation of 100 W in space environment. In this paper, the basic design of the satellite, the analysis of the feasibility by the thermal mathematical model, and the fabrication of thermal test model including water phase chamber are reported. The main results of thermal analysis as feasibility verification showed that the paddles could absorb the thermal energy up to 97 W at the solar input of 180 W, and the operating temperature of bus equipment became within the allowable temperature range (0°C - 40°C). At thermal vacuum test, the difference between the analysis and the experiment for the temperature history of water due to the discordance for the value of thermal conductance was discussed.

Flatness-Based Control in Successive Loops for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and Micro-Satellites

The control problem for the multivariable and nonlinear dynamics of unmanned aerial vehicles and micro-satellites is solved with the use of a flatness-based control approach which is implemented in successive loops.The state-space model of(i)unmanned aerial vehicles and(ii)micro-satellites is separated into two subsystems,which are connected between them in cascading loops.Each one of these subsystems can be viewed independently as a differentially flat system and control about it can be performed with inversion of its dynamics as in the case of input–output linearized flat systems.The state variables of the second subsystem become virtual control inputs for the first subsystem.In turn,exogenous control inputs are applied to the first subsystem.The whole control method is implemented in two successive loops and its global stability properties are also proven through Lyapunov stability analysis.The validity of the control method is confirmed in two case studies:(a)control and trajectories tracking for the autonomous octocopter,(ii)control of the attitude dynamics of micro-satellites.

Infrared Earth sensor with a large field of view for low-Earth-orbiting micro-satellites

Infrared Earth sensors are widely used in attitude-determination and control systems of satellites.The main deficiency of static infrared Earth sensors is the requirement of a small field of view(FOV).A typical FOV for a static infrared Earth sensor is about 20°to 30°,which may not be sufficient for low-Earth-orbiting microsatellites.A novel compact infrared Earth sensor with an FOV of nearly 180°is developed here.The Earth sensor comprises a panoramic annular lens(PAL)and an off-the-shelf camera with an uncooled complementary-metaloxide-semiconductor(CMOS)infrared sensor.PAL is used to augment FOV so as to obtain a complete infrared image of the Earth from low-Earth-orbit.An algorithm is developed to compensate for the distortion caused by PAL and to calculate the vector of the Earth.The new infrared Earth sensor is compact with low power consumption and high precision.Simulated images and on-orbit infrared images obtained via the micro-satellite ZDPS-2 are used to assess the performance of the new infrared Earth sensor.Experiments show that the accuracy of the Earth sensor is about 0.032°.

A Nonlinear Optimal Control Method for Attitude Stabilization of Micro-Satellites

Attitude control and stabilization of micro-satellites is a nontrivial problem due to the highly nonlinear and multivariable structure of the satellites'state-space model.In this paper,a novel nonlinear optimal(H-infinity)control approach is developed for this control problem.The dynamic model of the satellite's attitude dynamics undergoesfirst approximate linearization around a temporary operating point which is updated at each iteration of the control algorithm.The linearization process relies on first-order Taylor series expansion and on the computation of the Jacobian matrices of the state-space model of the satellite's attitude dynamics.For the approximately linearized description of the satellite's attitude a stabilizing H-infinity feedback controller is designed.To compute the controller's feedback gains,an algebraic Riccati equation is solved at each time-step of the control method.The stability properties of the control scheme are proven through Lyapunov analysis.It is also demonstrated that the control method retains the advantages of linear optimal control that is fast and accurate tracking of the reference setpoints under moderate variations of the control inputs.

Metagenomic profiles of soil microbiota under two different cropping systems detected by STRs-based PCR

In this research, soil microbial structures under a wheat triennial monoculture and horse bean-wheat-horse bean succession were evidenced using a metagenomic approach. Polymorphism analysis of DNA extracted from soil samples collected at the end of the third year of the two crop successions, was performed by PCR, carried-out with six different primers designed on simple tandem repeats sequences. Readable profiles were obtained with M13 primer, from which no polymorphisms were detected, and with the primer (GACA)4, that gave distinctive patterns. Experimental findings suggest that metagenomic analysis performed by (GACA)4 primer may be an easy and suitable method to discriminate microbial diversity of different crop successions. (GACA)4 PCR-pattern indicate that soil microbiota changes are well correlated with crop succession.

UMR: A utility-maximizing routing algorithm for delay-sensitive service in LEO satellite networks

This paper develops a routing algorithm for delay-sensitive packet transmission in a low earth orbit multi-hop satellite network consists of micro-satellites. The micro-satellite low earth orbit （MS-LEO） network endures unstable link connection and frequent link congestion due to the uneven user distribution and the link capacity variations. The proposed routing algorithm, referred to as the utility maximizing routing （UMR） algorithm, improve the network utility of the MS-LEO network for carrying flows with strict end-to-end delay bound requirement. In UMR, first, a link state parameter is defined to capture the link reliability on continuing to keep the end-to-end delay into constraint; then, on the basis of this parameter, a routing metric is for- mulated and a routing scheme is designed for balancing the reliability in delay bound guarantee among paths and building a path maximizing the network utility expectation. While the UMR algo- rithm has many advantages, it may result in a higher blocking rate of new calls. This phenomenon is discussed and a weight factor is introduced into UMR to provide a flexible performance option for network operator. A set of simulations are conducted to verify the good performance of UMR, in terms of balancing the traffic distribution on inter-satellite links, reducing the flow interruption rate, and improving the network utility.

Two-Stage Identification Method for Attitude-Control Models of On-Orbit Satellites

A two-stage identification method was developed for attitude-control models of on-orbit satellites for accurate attitude control. The attitude-control models are based on a generalized attitude model （GAM） and its corresponding noise model （NM）. These are both low order models which are able to characterize the main satellite dynamics and the corresponding noise. These low-order attitude-control models facilitate improved controller design and state estimation. This identification approach uses two open-loop identification processes, with higher order auxiliary models used in the estimation for filtering and with the filtered signals used to identify the low order GAM and NM. An identification experiment with a micro-satellite simulator was used to verify the effectiveness of the two-stage identification method.