Contributions to on-board navigation on 1U CubeSats

Contributions to on-board navigation on 1U CubeSats
Author: Weiß, Sascha
Publisher: Universitätsverlag der TU Berlin
Total Pages: 256
Release: 2022-04-07
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 3798332320

This thesis investigates the use of GNSS receivers on 1U CubeSats, using the example of BEESAT-4 and BEESAT-9. The integration of such a device on satellites enables highly precise time synchronization, position acquisition and orbit determination and prediction The application fields that depend on an accurate attitude control and orbit determination system and can also be processed by CubeSats are highlighted. Therefore the state of the art of GNSS receivers is described, which are suitable for the use on satellites and could be integrated into 1U CubeSats. Further on it is investigated which subsystems of a small satellite are particularly affected and what the special challenges are to realize a precise positioning with a GNSS receiver. In addition, some developments are presented that have significantly increased the performance of 1U CubeSats in recent years. The system concept of BEESAT satellites is introduced and the evolution of the payload board including the use of the latest sensor technologies for attitude control is described. It is shown how the verification of the satellite's subsystems was performed on the ground, with the focus on testing and simulating the attitude control and the GNSS receiver. The necessary integration steps, the calibration and environmental test campaign are discussed. Both satellites were successfully operated and the results of the on-orbit experiments are presented. It is shown how a three-axis stabilized attitude control was first verified on BEESAT-4 and then a GNSS receiver was successfully operated on BEESAT-9 for more than one year. In addition, the inter-satellite link between BEESAT-4 and BIROS will be analyzed, since it is essential for the relative navigation of satellites. The acquired navigation data was sent to the ground and the identification of BEESAT-9 was carried out using this data. A qualitative analysis of the orbital elements (TLE) of BEESAT-9 was performed systematically due to a daily operation of the GNSS receiver. Furthermore, it was investigated how a small GNSS antenna affects the received signal strength from GNSS satellites and whether this antenna or its amplifier degrades over time. Additionally, an orbit determination and propagation based on the navigation data could be performed and the results are evaluated. The analyzed questions allow a statement about the continuous use of GNSS receivers on 1U CubeSats and if it is necessary to achieve the mission objectives. Diese Arbeit untersucht den Einsatz von GNSS-Empfängern auf 1U CubeSats am Beispiel von BEESAT-4 und BEESAT-9. Das Integrieren einer solchen Komponente auf Satelliten ermöglicht eine hochgenaue Zeitsynchronisation, Positions- und Orbitbestimmung sowie deren Vorhersage Es werden die Anwendungsfelder beleuchtet, die auf ein akkurates Lageregelungs- und Orbitbestimmungssystem angewiesen sind und außerdem auch von CubeSats bearbeitet werden können. Dazu wird der Stand der Technik von GNSS-Empfängern beschrieben, die für den Einsatz auf Satelliten geeignet sind und von ihren Eigenschaften auch auf 1U CubeSats integriert werden könnten. Weitergehend wird untersucht, welche Subsysteme eines Kleinstsatelliten besonders betroffen sind und was die speziellen Herausforderungen sind, um eine präzise Positionsbestimmung mithilfe eines GNSS-Empfängers zu realisieren. Dazu werden auch einige Entwicklungen vorgestellt, die in den letzten Jahren die Leistungsfähigkeit von 1U CubeSats signifikant erhöht haben. Das Systemkonzept der BEESAT Satelliten wird eingeführt und die Evolution der Nutzlastplatine inklusive der Verwendung der jeweils neuesten Sensortechnologien für die Lageregelung beschrieben. Es wird gezeigt wie die Verifikation der Subsysteme des Satelliten am Boden erfolgte, wobei der Fokus auf dem Testen und Simulieren der Lageregelung und dem GNSS-Empfänger liegt. Dazu werden die notwendigen Integrationsschritte, die Kalibrations- und die Umwelttestkampagne diskutiert. Beide Satelliten wurden erfolgreich betrieben und die Ergebnisse der on-orbit Experimente werden vorgestellt. Es wird gezeigt wie zunächst eine dreiachsenstabilisierte Lageregelung auf BEESAT-4 verifiziert und anschließend auf BEESAT-9 über mehr als ein Jahr ein GNSS-Empfänger erfolgreich betrieben wurde. Zusätzlich wird der Intersatelliten Link zwischen BEESAT-4 und BIROS analysiert, da dieser für die Relativnavigation von Satelliten essentiell ist. Die akquirierten Navigationsdaten wurden zum Boden gesendet und die Identifizierung von BEESAT-9 erfolgte mithilfe dieser Daten. Eine qualitative Analyse der Orbitelemente (TLE) von BEESAT-9 konnte systematisch durchgeführt werden durch einen täglichen Einsatz des GNSS-Empfängers. Weiterhin wurde erforscht wie sich eine kleine GNSS-Antenne auf die empfangenen Signalstärken der GNSS Satelliten auswirkt und ob diese Antenne oder ihr Verstärker mit der Zeit degradieren. Zusätzlich konnte eine Orbitbestimmung und -propagation auf Basis der Navigationsdaten durchgeführt und die Ergebnisse ausgewertet werden. Die analysierten Fragestellungen erlauben eine Aussage über den durchgängigen Einsatz von GNSS-Empfängern auf 1U CubeSats und ob dieser notwendig ist um die Missionsziele zu erreichen.

Modern Spacecraft Guidance, Navigation, and Control

Modern Spacecraft Guidance, Navigation, and Control
Author: Vincenzo Pesce
Publisher: Elsevier
Total Pages: 1074
Release: 2022-11-13
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 0323909175

Modern Spacecraft Guidance, Navigation, and Control: From System Modeling to AI and Innovative Applications provides a comprehensive foundation of theory and applications of spacecraft GNC, from fundamentals to advanced concepts, including modern AI-based architectures with focus on hardware and software practical applications. Divided into four parts, this book begins with an introduction to spacecraft GNC, before discussing the basic tools for GNC applications. These include an overview of the main reference systems and planetary models, a description of the space environment, an introduction to orbital and attitude dynamics, and a survey on spacecraft sensors and actuators, with details of their modeling principles. Part 2 covers guidance, navigation, and control, including both on-board and ground-based methods. It also discusses classical and novel control techniques, failure detection isolation and recovery (FDIR) methodologies, GNC verification, validation, and on-board implementation. The final part 3 discusses AI and modern applications featuring different applicative scenarios, with particular attention on artificial intelligence and the possible benefits when applied to spacecraft GNC. In this part, GNC for small satellites and CubeSats is also discussed. Modern Spacecraft Guidance, Navigation, and Control: From System Modeling to AI and Innovative Applications is a valuable resource for aerospace engineers, GNC/AOCS engineers, avionic developers, and AIV/AIT technicians. - Provides an overview of classical and modern GNC techniques, covering practical system modeling aspects and applicative cases - Presents the most important artificial intelligence algorithms applied to present and future spacecraft GNC - Describes classical and advanced techniques for GNC hardware and software verification and validation and GNC failure detection isolation and recovery (FDIR)

Second International Conference on Sustainable Technologies for Computational Intelligence

Second International Conference on Sustainable Technologies for Computational Intelligence
Author: Ashish Kumar Luhach
Publisher: Springer Nature
Total Pages: 389
Release: 2021-10-18
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 9811646414

This book gathers high-quality papers presented at the Second International Conference on Sustainable Technologies for Computational Intelligence (ICTSCI 2021) held at Graphic Era University, Dehradun, India, during May 22–23, 2021. It covers emerging topics in computational intelligence and effective strategies for its implementation in engineering applications.

Microstrip Antennas

Microstrip Antennas
Author: N Nasimuddin
Publisher: BoD – Books on Demand
Total Pages: 556
Release: 2011-04-04
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 9533072474

In the last 40 years, the microstrip antenna has been developed for many communication systems such as radars, sensors, wireless, satellite, broadcasting, ultra-wideband, radio frequency identifications (RFIDs), reader devices etc. The progress in modern wireless communication systems has dramatically increased the demand for microstrip antennas. In this book some recent advances in microstrip antennas are presented.

Achieving Science with CubeSats

Achieving Science with CubeSats
Author: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
Publisher: National Academies Press
Total Pages: 131
Release: 2016-11-06
Genre: Science
ISBN: 030944263X

Space-based observations have transformed our understanding of Earth, its environment, the solar system and the universe at large. During past decades, driven by increasingly advanced science questions, space observatories have become more sophisticated and more complex, with costs often growing to billions of dollars. Although these kinds of ever-more-sophisticated missions will continue into the future, small satellites, ranging in mass between 500 kg to 0.1 kg, are gaining momentum as an additional means to address targeted science questions in a rapid, and possibly more affordable, manner. Within the category of small satellites, CubeSats have emerged as a space-platform defined in terms of (10 cm x 10 cm x 10 cm)- sized cubic units of approximately 1.3 kg each called "U's." Historically, CubeSats were developed as training projects to expose students to the challenges of real-world engineering practices and system design. Yet, their use has rapidly spread within academia, industry, and government agencies both nationally and internationally. In particular, CubeSats have caught the attention of parts of the U.S. space science community, which sees this platform, despite its inherent constraints, as a way to affordably access space and perform unique measurements of scientific value. The first science results from such CubeSats have only recently become available; however, questions remain regarding the scientific potential and technological promise of CubeSats in the future. Achieving Science with CubeSats reviews the current state of the scientific potential and technological promise of CubeSats. This report focuses on the platform's promise to obtain high- priority science data, as defined in recent decadal surveys in astronomy and astrophysics, Earth science and applications from space, planetary science, and solar and space physics (heliophysics); the science priorities identified in the 2014 NASA Science Plan; and the potential for CubeSats to advance biology and microgravity research. It provides a list of sample science goals for CubeSats, many of which address targeted science, often in coordination with other spacecraft, or use "sacrificial," or high-risk, orbits that lead to the demise of the satellite after critical data have been collected. Other goals relate to the use of CubeSats as constellations or swarms deploying tens to hundreds of CubeSats that function as one distributed array of measurements.

CubeSat Handbook

CubeSat Handbook
Author: Chantal Cappelletti
Publisher: Academic Press
Total Pages: 500
Release: 2020-09-25
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 012817885X

CubeSat Handbook: From Mission Design to Operations is the first book solely devoted to the design, manufacturing, and in-orbit operations of CubeSats. Beginning with an historical overview from CubeSat co-inventors Robert Twiggs and Jordi Puig-Suari, the book is divided into 6 parts with contributions from international experts in the area of small satellites and CubeSats. It covers topics such as standard interfaces, on-board & ground software, industry standards in terms of control algorithms and sub-systems, systems engineering, standards for AITV (assembly, integration, testing and validation) activities, and launch regulations. This comprehensive resource provides all the information needed for engineers and developers in industry and academia to successfully design and launch a CubeSat mission. - Provides an overview on all aspects that a CubeSat developer needs to analyze during mission design and its realization - Features practical examples on how to design and deal with possible issues during a CubeSat mission - Covers new developments and technologies, including ThinSats and PocketQubeSats

Defending Planet Earth

Defending Planet Earth
Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
Total Pages: 152
Release: 2010-07-21
Genre: Science
ISBN: 0309149681

The United States spends approximately $4 million each year searching for near-Earth objects (NEOs). The objective is to detect those that may collide with Earth. The majority of this funding supports the operation of several observatories that scan the sky searching for NEOs. This, however, is insufficient in detecting the majority of NEOs that may present a tangible threat to humanity. A significantly smaller amount of funding supports ways to protect the Earth from such a potential collision or "mitigation." In 2005, a Congressional mandate called for NASA to detect 90 percent of NEOs with diameters of 140 meters of greater by 2020. Defending Planet Earth: Near-Earth Object Surveys and Hazard Mitigation Strategies identifies the need for detection of objects as small as 30 to 50 meters as these can be highly destructive. The book explores four main types of mitigation including civil defense, "slow push" or "pull" methods, kinetic impactors and nuclear explosions. It also asserts that responding effectively to hazards posed by NEOs requires national and international cooperation. Defending Planet Earth: Near-Earth Object Surveys and Hazard Mitigation Strategies is a useful guide for scientists, astronomers, policy makers and engineers.

Attitude Stabilization for CubeSat

Attitude Stabilization for CubeSat
Author: Mohammed Chessab Mahdi
Publisher: Cambridge Scholars Publishing
Total Pages: 190
Release: 2018-11-14
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 152752163X

This book explores CubeSat technology, and develops a nonlinear mathematical model of a spacecraft with the assumption that the satellite is a rigid body. It places emphasis on the CubeSat subsystem, orbit dynamics and perturbations, the satellite attitude dynamic and modeling, and components of attitude determination and the control subsystem. The book focuses on the attitude stabilization methods of spacecraft, and presents gravity gradient stabilization, aerodynamic stabilization, and permanent magnets stabilization as passive stabilization methods, and spin stabilization and three axis stabilization as active stabilization methods. It also discusses the need to develop a control system design, and describes the design of three controller configurations, namely the Proportional–Integral–Derivative Controller (PID), the Linear Quadratic Regulator (LQR), and the Fuzzy Logic Controller (FLC) and how they can be used to design the attitude control of CubeSat three-axis stabilization. Furthermore, it presents the design of a suitable attitude stabilization system by combining gravity gradient stabilization with magnetic torquing, and the design of magnetic coils which can be added in order to improve the accuracy of attitude stabilization. The book then investigates, simulates, and compares possible controller configurations that can be used to control the currents of magnetic coils when magnetic coils behave as the actuator of the system.

Observation of the Earth and its Environment

Observation of the Earth and its Environment
Author: Herbert J. Kramer
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
Total Pages: 601
Release: 2013-03-09
Genre: Science
ISBN: 3662090384

The following listing represents a survey and a short description of 'Earth Observing Mis sions' in alphabetical order. The listing in Part A considers completed-, operational-as well as planned missions on an international scale (Earth observations from space know no na tional boundaries). A look into past activities is important for reasons of heritage, context and of perspective. The document is intended for all who want to keep track of missions and sensors in the fast -growing field of Earth observations. There cannot be any claim to com pleteness, although a considerable effort was made to collect and integrate all known mis sions and sensors into this book. Earth observation by remote sensing changes our view and perception of the world. We be gin to realize the global character of remote sensing, its multidimensional and complemen tary nature, its vast potential to many disciplines, its importance to mankind as a whole. Re mote sensing permits for the first time in history a total system view of the Earth. The view from space toward Earth has brought about sweeping revisions in the Earth sciences, in par ticular in such fields as meteorology, oceanology, hydrology, geology, geography, forestry, agriculture, geodynamics, solar-terrestrial interactions, and many others.

NASA Strategic Plan

NASA Strategic Plan
Author: United States. National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Publisher:
Total Pages: 32
Release: 1994
Genre: Outer space
ISBN: