长春站非合作目标激光测距资料的定轨

精密解算了非合作目标的单站激光测距数据.观测数据少、数据弧段分布不好是对非合作目标进行精密定轨的难点.通过定轨过程中对动力学模型的选择及求解参数的选取,使得轨道计算收敛.解算多组圈数的非合作目标数据,将轨道重叠弧段对比作为评判定轨精度的指标;从多组圈数中提取出一圈的观测数据,对其余数据进行定轨处理,将定轨后的轨道结果与提取出的观测数据进行对比,得到在同一时刻的距离偏差,使其作为精密定轨的外符合.结果表明:对非合作目标(4814)进行精密定轨,平均测距残差为1.01 m,在测距方向上,测量数据外符合的平均轨道精度为14.35 m,预报1 d的测距精度为24.60 m.     

初轨计算中的病态分析

本文对现有初轨计算方法进行病态性分析与误差分析；研究结果表明：病态对现有初轨算法的影响，主要来源于法方程系数中包含观测误差．系数行列式愈大，定轨精度的损失愈多，当■被随机误差项△μ淹盖时，现有初轨算法将失效．此外，仿真结果还显示：■与△μ的大小还极大地依赖观测弧段的空间位置，当观测弧段包含近站点作为中点时，■最大，而■小，此时定轨精度较高；当观测弧段位于近站点的某一侧时，■小，而■大，此时定轨精度较低，观测弧段愈偏离近站点，病态影响愈大；因而在观测时，应尽量使观测弧段与近站点对称（此时μ值较大），这是提高短弧定轨的一种有效途径．     

利用3次方位观测天基初轨确定新方法

提出了一种适用于天基空间目标光学观测的初始轨道确定新方法. 通过对比地基和天基观测的几何构型, 分析了利用天基光学观测数据进行初轨确定时计算收敛到观测平台自身轨道的原因. 基于轨道半通径方程和改进Gauss方程, 推导出了斜距条件方程组的解析形式, 将天基光学观测的初轨确定问题转换为求解关于观测时刻斜距变量的非线性条件方程组的问题. 利用轨道能量约束减小了解的搜索区域, 消除了方程组的奇点. 最后利用天基实测数据验证并分析了非线性条件方程组根的性质, 利用低轨光学观测平台对低、中、高轨和大椭圆轨道空间目标的仿真观测数据验证了方法的有效性.     

已知e的先验值的初轨寻优算法

本文讨论由短弧测角资料,已知偏心率e的先验值时,初轨的寻优算法。把偏心率的先验值看作是对e的约束条件,再固定观测弧段两端点的观测量与作为约束条件,本文导出了一维(对M_0)非线性寻优算法;针对观测资料中可能存在异常值的情形,本文提出了一种初轨的稳健寻优算法。仿真结果表明,当e的先验值有足够高的精度时,能明显提高周期P的估计精度;稳健算法还可用作剔除观测资料的异常值。     

基于遗传算法的极短弧定轨

空间目标的巡天观测获取了海量的极短弧观测数据,而经典初轨计算方法对于极短弧几乎不能获得合理的结果.将初轨计算问题转换为两个三变量的分层优化问题,采用遗传算法,针对具体问题选择了优化变量以及相应的遗传操作,建立了一种极短弧初轨计算方法.基于实测资料的数值实验表明,方法可为后续工作提供有效的初值.     

电子篱笆稀疏资料定轨方法研究

基于Lambert方程和空间几何知识,给出了适用于空间监视电子篱笆设备稀疏观测资料轨道确定的方法.通过对大量目标的模拟试验表明,该方法确定的初始轨道能使轨道改进收敛,定轨精度优于100米,证明该方法适用于电子篱笆对绝大部分空间目标观测数据的轨道确定.最后讨论了篱笆布站纬度对定轨应用的影响.     

考虑地球扁率摄动影响的初轨计算方法

在二体问题意义下的短弧定轨,Laplace型方法是最主要最典型的一种初轨计算方法。若测角资料达到10^-4-10^-5精度(相当于2″—20″之间),那么要使定轨精度达到与其相应的程度,地球非球形引力位中的扁率项摄动应该考虑,在此前提下,同样可以采用相应的Laplace型定轨方法。即给出这种严格包含扁率摄动的初轨计算方法的原理和具体计算过程以及计算实例,除采用多资料定轨方法外,这种方法也是提高初轨计算精度的一种途径,它同样可用于多资料的情况,这种方法对于大扁率主天体(即中心天体)的卫星定轨将更有实用价值。     

地月DRO星载光学测量近地小行星轨道确定

针对地基光学监测系统对近地小行星在近太阳方向的监测存在盲区的问题,提出了远距离逆行轨道(Distant Retrograde Orbit,DRO)天基光学平台对近地小行星进行跟踪定轨的方法.通过可视性分析,筛选仿真观测数据,利用美国宇航局喷气推进实验室(Jet Propulsion Laboratory,JPL)公布的小行星初始轨道信息对不同轨道类型的目标天体进行轨道确定,将计算结果与参考轨道对比分析.仿真结果表明:在测量精度2角秒,定轨弧长3年的情况下,DRO平台对仿真算例中所选择的近地小行星的定轨精度可以达到几十公里量级,其中Atira型轨道精度可达10公里以内.由此可见,DRO天基平台对近地小行星具有较好的监测能力,定轨精度能实现对目标小行星的精确跟踪,并对其进行轨道预报.     

双星定位系统的近地卫星联合定轨同质异质观测数据加权方法及应用

针对双星定位系统的近地卫星联合定轨中的多源观测数据的融合处理问题,建立了同质观测数据的二步系统误差修正的改进的方差分量估计最优加权方法;分析指出异质观测数据的多源融合测量模型本质为多结构多参数的非线性回归模型,建立了异质观测数据的模型结构特征分析和方差分量估计相结合的最优加权方法.设计了两类观测数据最优加权及联合定轨参数估计的实现算法,并以双星及备份星的距离和同质观测数据以及双星距离和与星敏感器测角的异质观测数据为例,进行了联合定轨仿真实验.理论分析和仿真计算结果表明;对于同质观测数据联合定轨,采用二步系统误差修正的方差分量估计法,可以获得比传统的经验加权算法更优的定轨精度;对于异质观测数据联合定轨,通过引入表征模型结构特征的加权因子,与平均加权方式相比,近地卫星及静地卫星的联合定轨精度均得到一定程度的改善.     

差分VLBI技术在采样返回任务中的应用

针对采样返回任务中多探测器精密短弧定轨问题,研究了甚长基线干涉测量(Very Long Baseline Interferometry,VLBI)技术在两探测器间的交替观测模式、2π模糊度解算方法和数据差分处理方法,给出了星载信标的设计原则和方案。利用日本SELENE探月卫星的两个小卫星R-star和V-star的同波束VLBI相关相位生成了交替VLBI相位观测量,对其进行了差分处理求解差分时延,然后利用差分时延和测速测距数据进行定轨计算。对差分时延的分析表明,交替VLBI差分群时延RMS值为46 mm,测量精度与同波束VLBI差分群时延相当;交替VLBI差分相时延RMS值为1.6 mm,测量精度与同波束VLBI差分相时延相当。定轨结果表明,交替VLBI在进行多探测器的短弧定轨时能达到同波束VLBI相当的精度。     

From Astrometry to Celestial Mechanics: Orbit Determination with Very Short Arcs

Contemporary surveys provide a huge number of detections of small solar system bodies, mostly asteroids. Typically, the reported astrometry is not enough to compute an orbit and/or perform an identification with an already discovered object. The classical methods for preliminary orbit determination fail in such cases: a new approach is necessary. When the observations are not enough to compute an orbit we represent the data with an attributable (two angles and their time derivatives). The undetermined variables range and range rate span an admissible region of solar system orbits, which can be sampled by a set of Virtual Asteroids (VAs) selected by an optimal triangulation. The attributable results from a fit and has an uncertainty represented by a covariance matrix, thus the predictions of future observations can be described by a quasi-product structure (admissible region times confidence ellipsoid), which can be approximated by a triangulation with each node surrounded by a confidence ellipsoid. The problem of identifying two independent short arcs of observations has been solved. For each VA in the admissible region of the first arc we consider prediction at the time of the second arc and the corresponding covariance matrix, and we compare them with the attributable of the second arc with its own covariance. By using the penalty (increase in the sum of squares, as in the algorithms for identification) we select the VAs which can fit together both arcs and compute a preliminary orbit. Even two attributables may not be enough to compute an orbit with a convergent differential corrections algorithm. The preliminary orbits are used as first guess for constrained differential corrections, providing solutions along the Line Of Variations (LOV) which can be used as second generation VAs to further predict the observations at the time of a third arc. In general the identification with a third arc will ensure a least squares orbit, with uncertainty described by the covariance matrix.     

Innovative methods of correlation and orbit determination for space debris

We propose two algorithms to provide a full preliminary orbit of an Earth-orbiting object with a number of observations lower than the classical methods, such as those by Laplace and Gauss. The first one is the Virtual debris algorithm, based upon the admissible region, that is the set of the unknown quantities corresponding to possible orbits for a given observation for objects in Earth orbit (as opposed to both interplanetary orbits and ballistic ones). A similar method has already been successfully used in recent years for the asteroidal case. The second algorithm uses the integrals of the geocentric 2-body motion, which must have the same values at the times of the different observations for a common orbit to exist. We also discuss how to account for the perturbations of the 2-body motion, e.g., the J ₂ effect.     

Dealing with uncertainties in angles-only initial orbit determination

A method to deal with uncertainties in initial orbit determination (IOD) is presented. This is based on the use of Taylor differential algebra (DA) to nonlinearly map uncertainties from the observation space to the state space. When a minimum set of observations is available, DA is used to expand the solution of the IOD problem in Taylor series with respect to measurement errors. When more observations are available, high order inversion tools are exploited to obtain full state pseudo-observations at a common epoch. The mean and covariance of these pseudo-observations are nonlinearly computed by evaluating the expectation of high order Taylor polynomials. Finally, a linear scheme is employed to update the current knowledge of the orbit. Angles-only observations are considered and simplified Keplerian dynamics adopted to ease the explanation. Three test cases of orbit determination of artificial satellites in different orbital regimes are presented to discuss the feature and performances of the proposed methodology.     

Parallel initial orbit determination using angles-only observation pairs

We propose a type of admissible-region analysis for track initiation in multi-satellite problems when angles are the primary observable. Pairs of optical observations are used to calculate candidate orbits via a Lambert solver by hypothesizing range values. The method is attractive because it allows multiple levels of parallelization of the track-initiation process. Orbital element partitions are introduced to divide the admissible region into smaller search spaces to be processed on individual computer nodes. For a specified rectangular partition in the space of orbital elements, constraints are developed to bound the values of range that will lead to initial orbit hypotheses (data association hypotheses) associated with that partition. These bounds allow us to parallelize the generation of candidate orbits, because each element-space partition can be handled independently of the others. Several constraints are developed and shown to limit the range pair hypotheses effectively to the constrained admissible region based on the orbital element partitions. Examples are provided to highlight the topology of the proposed constraints.     

Orbit of an Astrometric Binary System

We present a new method to solve the problem of initial orbit determination of any binary system. This method is mainly based on the material available for an observer, for example relative positions at a given time of the couple in the “plane of sky”, namely the tangent plane to the celestial sphere at the position of the primary component. The problem of orbit determination is solved by splitting in successive stages in order to decorrelate the parameters of each other as much as possible. On one hand, the geometric problem is solved using the first Kepler’s law from a single observing run and, on the other hand, dynamical parameters are then inferred from the fit of the Kepler’s equation. At last, the final stage consists in determining the main physical parameters involved in the secular evolution of the system, that is the spin axis and the J₂ parameter of the primary if we assume that it is a quasi-spherical body. As a matter of fact there is no need to make too restrictive initial assumptions (such as circular orbit or zero eccentricity) and initial guesses of parameters required by a non-linear least-squares Levenberg–Marquardt algorithm are finally obtained after each stage. Such a protocol is very useful to study systems like binary asteroids for which all of the parameters should be considered a priori as unknowns. As an example of application, we used our method to estimate the set of the Pluto–Charon system parameters from observations collected in the literature since 1980.     

月球探测器过渡轨道的短弧定轨方法

论述的短弧定轨,是指在无先验信息情况下又避开多变元迭代的初轨计算方法,它需要相应的动力学问题有一能反映短弧内达到一定精度的近似分析解．探测器进入月球引力作用范围后接近月球时可以处理成相对月球的受摄二体问题,而在地球附近,则可处理成相对地球的受摄二体问题,但在整个过渡段的力模型只能处理成一个受摄的限制性三体问题．而限制性三体问题无分析解,即使在月球引力作用范围外,对于大推力脉冲式的过渡方式,相对地球的变化椭圆轨道的偏心率很大(超过Laplace极限),在考虑月球引力摄动时亦无法构造摄动分析解．就此问题,考虑在地球非球形引力(只包含J2项)和月球引力共同作用下,构造了探测器飞抵月球过渡轨道段的时间幂级数解,在此基础上给出一种受摄二体问题意义下的初轨计算方法,经数值验证,定轨方法有效,可供地面测控系统参考．     

A multi-objective approach to the design of low thrust space trajectories using optimal control

In this article, we introduce a novel three-step approach for solving optimal control problems in space mission design. We demonstrate its potential by the example task of sending a group of spacecraft to a specific Earth L ₂ halo orbit. In each of the three steps we make use of recently developed optimization methods and the result of one step serves as input data for the subsequent one. Firstly, we perform a global and multi-objective optimization on a restricted class of control functions. The solutions of this problem are (Pareto-)optimal with respect to ΔV and flight time. Based on the solution set, a compromise trajectory can be chosen suited to the mission goals. In the second step, this selected trajectory serves as initial guess for a direct local optimization. We construct a trajectory using a more flexible control law and, hence, the obtained solutions are improved with respect to control effort. Finally, we consider the improved result as a reference trajectory for a formation flight task and compute trajectories for several spacecraft such that these arrive at the halo orbit in a prescribed relative configuration. The strong points of our three-step approach are that the challenging design of good initial guesses is handled numerically by the global optimization tool and afterwards, the last two steps only have to be performed for one reference trajectory.     

Orbit determination with very short arcs: II. Identifications

When the observational data are not enough to compute a meaningful orbit for an asteroid/comet we can represent the data with an attributable, i.e., two angles and their time derivatives. The undetermined variables range and range rate span an admissible region of Solar System orbits, which can be sampled by a set of Virtual Asteroids (VAs) selected by means of an optimal triangulation [Milani, A., Gronchi, G.F., de' Michieli Vitturi, M., Kne?evi?, Z., 2004. Celest. Mech. Dyn. Astron. 90, 59-87]. The attributable 4 coordinates are the result of a fit and they have an uncertainty, represented by a covariance matrix. Two short arcs of observations, represented by two attributables, can be linked by considering for each VA (in the admissible region of the first arc) the covariance matrix for the prediction at the time of the second arc, and by comparing it with the attributable of the second arc with its own covariance. By defining an identification penalty we can select the VAs allowing to fit together both arcs and compute a preliminary orbit. Two attributables may not be enough to compute an orbit with convergent differential corrections. Thus the preliminary orbit is used in a constrained differential correction, providing solutions along the Line Of Variation which can be used as second generation VAs to further predict the observations at the time of a third arc. In general the identification with a third arc will ensure a well determined orbit, to which additional sets of observations can be attributed. To test these algorithms we use a large scale simulation and measure the completeness, the reliability and the efficiency of the overall procedure to build up orbits by accumulating identifications. Under the conditions expected for the next generation asteroid surveys, the methods developed in this and in the preceding papers are efficient enough to be used as primary identification methods, with very good results. One important property is that the completeness in finding the possible identifications is as good for comparatively rare orbits, such as the ones of Near-Earth Objects, as for main belt orbits.