Shift control method for the local time at descendi ngnode based on sun-synchronous orbit satellite

This article analyzes the shift factors of the descending node local time for sun-synchronous satellites and proposes a shift control method to keep the local time shift within an allowance range. It is found that the satellite orbit design and the orbit injection deviation are the causes for the initial shift velocity, whereas the atmospheric drag and the sun gravitational perturbation produce the shift acceleration. To deal with these shift factors, a shift control method is put forward, through such methods as orbit variation design, orbit altitude, and inclination keeping control. The simulation experiment and practical application have proved the effectiveness of this control method.

Selection of the best initial orbital elements of satellite based on fuzzy integration evaluation method

The fuzzy integration evaluation method （FIEM） is studied in order to select the best orbital elements from the multi-group initial orbits determined by a satellite TT＆C （Tracking, Telemetry and Control） center with all kinds of data sources. By employing FIEM together with the experience of TT＆C experts, the index system to evaluate the selection of the best initial orbits is established after the data sources and orbit determination theories are studied. Besides, the concrete steps in employing the method are presented. Moreover, by taking the objects to be evaluated as evaluation experts, the problem of how to generate evaluation matrices is solved. Through practical application, the method to select the best initial orbital elements has been proved to be flexible and effective The originality of the method is to find a new evaluation criterion （comparing the actually tracked orbits） replacing the traditional one （comparing the nominal orbits） for selecting the best orbital elements.

Optimal feedback based control for Mars entry trajectory tracking

The various uncertainties of Mars environment have great impact on the process of vehicles entering the atmosphere.To improve the robustness of control system against the model errors and to reduce the computational burden, an optimal feedback based tracking control law is developed. The control scheme presented in this paper determines the amplitude and the reversals of bank angle respectively in the longitudinal and lateral flight plane. At each control cycle, the amplitude of the bank angle is obtained by an optimal feedback controller to minimize tracking errors. The control gains are tuned according to the closed-loop error dynamics by using optimization methods. The bank reversals are executed if the crossrange exceeds a predetermined corridor which is designed by setting a boundary function. The accuracy and robustness of the proposed closed-loop optimal feedback based control law in tracking the reference trajectory is verified via500 deviation simulations, in which modeling errors and external disturbances are considered.

Robust adaptive control for dynamic systems with mixed uncertainties

The control problem for single-input single-output（SISO） systems in the presence of mixed uncertainties, both stochastic and deterministic uncertainties, is considered. The stochastic uncertainties are modeled as exogenous noises, while the deterministic uncertainties are time invariant and appear as the unknown parameters which lie in a bounded interval. Based on a subdivision for the continuous interval, a robust adaptive controller is designed. The controller can not only realize the system output to track the desired output, but also learn a more accurate interval which contains the true value of the unknown parameter with a learning error given in advance. An example is given finally to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.

Trajectory Design and Optimization for LEO Satellites in Formation to Observe GEO Satellites’ Beams

This paper presents the methods and results for the trajectory design and optimization for the low earth orbit (LEO) satellites in formation to observe the geostationary orbit (GEO) satellites’ beams. The background of the trajectory design mission is the 9th China Trajectory Optimization Competition (CTOC9). The formation is designed according to the observation demands. The flying sequence is determined by a reference satellite using a proposed improved ephemeris matching method (IEMM). The formation is changed, maintained and transferred following the reference satellite employing a multi-impulse control method (MICM). Then the total observation value is computed by propagating the orbits of the satellites according to the sequence and transfer strategies. Based on the above methods, we have obtained a fourth prize in the CTOC9. The proposed methods are not only fit for this competition, but can also be used to fulfill the trajectory design missions for similar multi-object explorations.

A Data-driven Method for Realistic Covariance Prediction of Space Object with Sparse Tracking Data

Covariance of the orbital state of a resident space object(RSO)is a necessary requirement for various space situational awareness tasks,like the space collision warning.It describes an accuracy envelope of the RSO's location.However,in current space surveillance,the tracking data of an individual RSO is often found insufficiently accurate and sparsely distributed,making the predicted covariance(PC)derived from the tracking data and classical orbit dynamic system usually unrealistic in describing the error characterization of orbit predictions.Given the fact that the tracking data of an RSO from a single station or a fixed network share a similar temporal and spatial distribution,the evolution of PC could share a hidden relationship with that data distribution.This study proposes a novel method to generate accurate PC by combining the classical covariance propagation method and the data-driven approach.Two popular machine learning algorithms are applied to model the inconsistency between the orbit prediction error and the PC from historical observations,and then this inconsistency model is used for the future PC.Experimental results with the Swarm constellation satellites demonstrate that the trained Random Forest models can capture more than 95%of the underlying inconsistency in a tracking scenario of sparse observations.More importantly,the trained models show great generalization capability in correcting the PC of future epochs and other RSOs with similar orbit characteristics and observation conditions.Besides,a deep analysis of generalization performance is carried out to describe the temporal and spatial similarities of two data sets,in which the Jaccard similarity is used.It demonstrates that the higher the Jaccard similarity is,the better the generalization performance will be,which may be used as a guide to whether to apply the trained models of a satellite to other satellites.Further,the generalization performance is also evaluated by the classical Cramer von Misses test,which also shows that trained models have encouraging generalization performance.

Three-Component Model for Bidirectional Reflection Distribution Function of Thermal Coating Surfaces

We present a bidirectional reflection distribution function （BRDF） model for thermal coating surfaces based on a three-component reflection assumption, in which the specular reflection is given according to the microfacet theory and Snell＇s law, the multiple reflection is considered Nth cosine distributed, and the volume scattering is uniformly distributed in reflection angles according to the experimental results. This model describes the reflection characteristics of thermal coating surfaces more completely and reasonably. Simulation and measurement results of two thermal coating samples SR107 and S781 are given to validate that this three-component model significantly improves the modeling accuracy for thermal coating surfaces compared with the existing BRDF models.

Degree of polarization based on the three-component pBRDF model for metallic materials

An expression of degree of polarization（DOP） for metallic material is presented based on the three-component polarized bidirectional reflectance distribution function（p BRDF） model with considering specular reflection, directional diffuse reflection and ideal diffuse reflection. The three-component p BRDF model with a detailed reflection assumption is validated by comparing simulations with measurements. The DOP expression presented in this paper is related to surface roughness, which makes it more reasonable in physics. Test results for two metallic samples show that the DOP based on the three-component p BRDF model accords well with the measurement and the error of existing DOP expression is significantly reduced by introducing the diffuse reflection. It indicates that our DOP expression describes the polarized reflection properties of metallic surfaces more accurately.

Autonomous optical navigation of Mars probe aided by one-way Doppler measurements in capture stage

The optical navigation errors of Mars probe in the capture stage depend closely on which targets are selected to be observed in the Mars system.As for this problem,an integrated navigation scheme is proposed wherein the optical observation is aided by one-way Doppler measurements.The errors are then analyzed respectively for the optical observation and one-way Doppler measurements.The real-time calculating scheme which exploits the extended Kalman filter(EKF)framework is designed for the integrated navigation.The simulation tests demonstrate that the errors of optical navigation,which select the Mars moon as the observation target,are relatively smaller than those in the Mars-orientation optical navigation case.On one hand,the integrated navigation errors do not depend on the selecting pattern of optical observation targets.On the other hand,the integrated navigation errors are significantly reduced as compared with those in the optical-alone autonomous navigation mode.

Approach for uncertain multi-objective programming problems with correlated objective functions under C_(EV) criterion

An uncertain multi-objective programming problem is a special type of mathematical multi-objective programming involving uncertain variables. This type of problem is important because there are several uncertain variables in real-world problems.Therefore, research on the uncertain multi-objective programming problem is highly relevant, particularly those problems whose objective functions are correlated. In this paper, an approach that solves an uncertain multi-objective programming problem under the expected-variance value criterion is proposed. First, we define the basic framework of the approach and review concepts such as a Pareto efficient solution and expected-variance value criterion using an order relation between various uncertain variables.Second, the uncertain multi-objective problem is converted into an uncertain single-objective programming problem via a linear weighted method or ideal point method. Then the problem is transformed into a deterministic single objective programming problem under the expected-variance value criterion. Third, four lemmas and two theorems are proved to illustrate that the optimal solution of the deterministic single-objective programming problem is an efficient solution to the original uncertainty problem. Finally, two numerical examples are presented to validate the effectiveness of the proposed approach.

Preliminarily study of Saturn’s upper atmosphere density by observing Cassini plunging via China’s deep space station

When the Cassini spacecraft finally plunged into the Saturnian atmosphere on 2017 September15,China’s deep space telescope pointed to Saturn to observe Cassini and study the Saturnian upper neutral atmosphere.In this first Chinese Saturnian radio science experiment,X band Doppler velocity radio science data between the deep space telescope and the Cassini spacecraft were obtained.After removing Saturnian and solar gravity effects,Earth rotation effect,the remaining Saturnian atmosphere drag information was retrieved in the Cassini final plunge progress.Saturn’s upper neutral atmosphere mass density profile is approximately estimated based on atmosphere mass density derived principally by real orbit measurement data.Saturn’s upper neutral atmosphere mass density from 76000 km to 1400 km is estimated from the orbit measurement data,the mass density results are about from 1.4×10^-15 kg cm^-3 to 2.5×10^-14 kg cm^-3.

Model of bidirectional reflectance distribution function for metallic materials

Based on the three-component assumption that the reflection is divided into specular reflection,directional diffuse reflection,and ideal diffuse reflection,a bidirectional reflectance distribution function（BRDF） model of metallic materials is presented.Compared with the two-component assumption that the reflection is composed of specular reflection and diffuse reflection,the three-component assumption divides the diffuse reflection into directional diffuse and ideal diffuse reflection.This model effectively resolves the problem that constant diffuse reflection leads to considerable error for metallic materials.Simulation and measurement results validate that this three-component BRDF model can improve the modeling accuracy significantly and describe the reflection properties in the hemisphere space precisely for the metallic materials.

Determining origins of satellite breakup events in LEO region

Currently,a surge in the number of spacecraft and fragments is observed,leading to more frequent breakup events in low Earth orbits(LEOs).The causes of these events are being identified,and specific triggers,such as collisions or explosions,are being examined for their importance to space traffic management.Backward propagation methods were employed to trace the origins of these types of breakup events.Simulations were conducted using the NASA standard breakup model,and satellite Hitomi’s breakup was analyzed.Kullback-Leibler(KL)divergences,Euclidean 2-norms,and Jensen-Shannon(JS)divergences were computed to deduce potential types of breakups and the associated fragmentation masses.In the simulated case,a discrepancy of 22.12 s between the estimated and actual time was noted.Additionally,the breakup of the Hitomi satellite was estimated to have occurred around UTC 1:49:26.4 on March 26,2016.This contrasts with the epoch provided by the Joint Space Operation Center,which was estimated to be at 1:42 UTC±11 min.From the findings,it was suggested that the techniques introduced in the study can be effectively used to trace the origins of short-term breakup events and to deduce the types of collisions and fragmentation masses under certain conditions.

Motion of the moonlet in the binary system 243 Ida

The motion of the moonlet Dactyl in the binary system 243 Ida is investigated in this paper. First, periodic orbits in the vicinity of the primary are calculated, including the orbits around the equilibrium points and large-scale orbits. The Floquet multipliers’ topological cases of periodic orbits are calculated to study the orbits’ stabilities. During the continuation of the retrograde near-circular orbits near the equatorial plane, two period-doubling bifurcations and one Neimark–Sacker bifurcation occur one by one, leading to two stable regions and two unstable regions. Bifurcations occur at the boundaries of these regions. Periodic orbits in the stable regions are all stable, but in the unstable regions are all unstable. Moreover, many quasi-periodic orbits exist near the equatorial plane. Long-term integration indicates that a particle in a quasi-periodic orbit runs in a space like a tire. Quasi-periodic orbits in different regions have different styles of motion indicated by the Poincare sections. There is the possibility that moonlet Dactyl is in a quasi-periodic orbit near the stable region I, which is enlightening for the stability of the binary system.

Design and realization of a novel multitask TT&C operation pattern

With the sharp increase of China＇s in-orbit spacecraft and the constraint TT＆C resources, a mathematical model for optimal TT＆C resource allocation is proposed, and the TT＆C facility remote monitoring function is designed to achieve the multitask operation pattern under the unified management of the network management center. With this pattern, the TT＆C network management and the spacecraft management are separated, which is quite different from the previous pattern. Further, a novel spacecraft TT＆C technique based on spacecraft control language is developed, and the telecommanding pattern is designed to address the spacecraft operation problems. The engineering application shows that this pattern fundamentally improves the TT＆C network capability, increases the resource efficiency, and satisfies the efficient, accurate, and flexible operation of spacecraft.

New UWB imaging algorithm for multiple targets detection

Because the conventional ultra wideband（UWB） radar imaging algorithm cannot meet the demand in the capability of multiple targets detection,a novel UWB radar imaging algorithm based on the near field radiation theory of dipole is presented.On the foundation of researching the principle of a time domain imaging algorithm,the back projection（BP） algorithm is derived and analyzed.Firstly,the far field sampling data are transferred to the near field sampling data by using the near field radiation theory of dipole.Then the BP algorithm is applied to target detection.The capability of the new algorithm to detect the multi-target is verified by using the finite-difference time-domain method,and the threedimensional images of targets are obtained.The coupling effect between targets for imaging is analyzed.The simulation results show that the new UWB radar imaging algorithm based on the near field radiation theory of dipole could weaken the coupling effect for imaging,and as a result the quality of imaging is improved.

Multi-Sensor Image Fusion: A Survey of the State of the Art

Image fusion has been developing into an important area of research. In remote sensing, the use of the same image sensor in different working modes, or different image sensors, can provide reinforcing or complementary information. Therefore, it is highly valuable to fuse outputs from multiple sensors (or the same sensor in different working modes) to improve the overall performance of the remote images, which are very useful for human visual perception and image processing task. Accordingly, in this paper, we first provide a comprehensive survey of the state of the art of multi-sensor image fusion methods in terms of three aspects: pixel-level fusion, feature-level fusion and decision-level fusion. An overview of existing fusion strategies is then introduced, after which the existing fusion quality measures are summarized. Finally, this review analyzes the development trends in fusion algorithms that may attract researchers to further explore the research in this field.

Method to Identify Similarity and Dissimilarity between Systems Engineering and Neighboring Disciplines

Systems engineering is not a new discipline. However, up to now, there is little consensus on its exact definition and scope. The scopes of several disciplines (neighboring disciplines of systems engineering) overlap with that of systems engineering. In this paper, the methods to identify similarities and dissimilarities between systems engineering and its neighboring disciplines are discussed. The research of this paper is expected to be helpful for clarifying the definition and scope of systems engineering.

Comparison of three filters in asteroid-based autonomous navigation

At present, optical autonomous navigation has become a key technologyin deep space exploration programs. Recent studies focus on the problem of orbit de-termination using autonomous navigation, and the choice of filter is one of the mainissues. To prepare for a possible exploration mission to Mars, the primary emphasisof this paper is to evaluate the capability of three filters, the extended Kalman filter（EKF）, unscented Kalman filter （UKF） and weighted least-squares （WLS） algorithm,which have different initial states during the cruise phase. One initial state is assumedto have high accuracy with the support of ground tracking when autonomous navi-gation is operating; for the other state, errors are set to be large without this support.In addition, the method of selecting asteroids that can be used for navigation fromknown lists of asteroids to form a sequence is also presented in this study. The simula-tion results show that WLS and UKF should be the first choice for optical autonomousnavigation during the cruise phase to Mars.

First results of the low energy ion spectrometer onboard a Chinese geosynchronous satellite

A Chinese geosynchronous satellite was launched on June 23,2020.It carried a plasma detection package to monitor the space environment around the orbit.Here we report the inflight performance of a low energy ion spectrometer(LEIS),one of the primary instruments in the plasma detection package,and its initial observations in flight.Benefiting from the state-of-the-art design of a top-hat electrostatic analyzer cooperated with angular scanning deflectors,three-dimensional measurement of ions in space with a large field of view of 360°×90°and a wide energy range from 50 eV to 25 keV per charge has been achieved.The differential energy flux spectra of ions around the orbit have shown clear signatures of surface charging and storm/substorm ion injections.The occurrence of surface charging could be caused by the lack of photoemission at the Earth's eclipse(near the midnight)or the storm energetic electron injection at the dawn sector.The present results demonstrated a good performance of the LEIS payload in flight for monitoring the space ion environment around the orbit.In situ measurements of the LEIS payload provide us an opportunity to understand the magnetospheric ion dynamics and forecast the associate space weather impacts.