• Journal of Institute of Control, Robotics and Systems
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• v.6 no.10
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• pp.936-941
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• 2000

Advanced space transportation systems, such as the National Aerospace Plane or an Orbital Transfer Vehicle, have atmospheric maneuvering capabilities. For such vehicles the use of aeroassisted orbital transfer from a high Earth orbit to a low Earth orbit, with unpowered flight in the atmosphere, has the potential for significant fuel savings compared to exoatmospheric Hohmann transfer. However, to exploit the fuel savings that can be achieved by using the Earths atmosphere to reduce the vehicles energy, a guidance law is required, and it must be able to handle large unpredictable fluctuations in atmospheric density, on the order of ${\pm}$50% relative to the 1962 US Standard Atmosphere. In this paper aeroassisted orbital transfer is considered as a differential game, with Nature controlling the atmosphere density to yield a worst case (min-max fuel required) atmosphere, from which the guaranteed playable set boundary are achieved. Inside the playable set, it is guaranteed that the vehicle achieves the optimal atmospheric exit condition for the minimum fuel consumption regardless of the atmospheric density variations.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Navigation and Port Research Conference
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• v.1
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• pp.367-370
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• 2006

A GPS-based time synchronization technique employing a refined HW circuitry and SW algorithm is considered as fine time-management system for Low Earth Orbit (LEO) remote sensing satellites. By synchronizing the On-Board Time (OBT) within satellites to the GPS 1PPS, a very expensive, highly accurate on-board clock is not required to determine the precise on-board time management. Also, the satellite command generation in ground stations and postprocessing of earth observation data which a particular image is acquired. This paper analyses on-orbit verification of the existing satellite time sync architecture and presents a new time sync architecture, operation and relation between the OBT and the GPS time.

• Journal of Satellite, Information and Communications
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.128-135
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• 2015

Currently we have an electro-optical space object monitoring system (OWL-Net) developed by the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute as the only ground-based on orbit space object tracking capability in Korea. This system can produce the ephemeris of domestic satellites and survey the geosynchronous orbit region. As the number of observation objects increases and the operation condition get worse, a low budget dedicated monitoring telescope capable of full time geosynchronous orbit region survey can support an effect operation of the OWL-Net. In this study, we analyze the requirements of a low-budget dedicated optical monitoring system for geosynchronous orbit region without the degradation of observation quality to increase the risk of corrupted ephemeris.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.249-264
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• 2019

In this study, the precise orbit determination (POD) software is developed for optical observation. To improve the performance of the estimation algorithm, a nonlinear batch filter, based on the unscented transform (UT) that overcomes the disadvantages of the least-squares (LS) batch filter, is utilized. The LS and UT batch filter algorithms are verified through numerical simulation analysis using artificial optical measurements. We use the real optical observation data of a low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite, Cryosat-2, observed from optical wide-field patrol network (OWL-Net), to verify the performance of the POD software developed. The effects of light travel time, annual aberration, and diurnal aberration are considered as error models to correct OWL-Net data. As a result of POD, measurement residual and estimated state vector of the LS batch filter converge to the local minimum when the initial orbit error is large or the initial covariance matrix is smaller than the initial error level. However, UT batch filter converges to the global minimum, irrespective of the initial orbit error and the initial covariance matrix.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.273-284
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• 2011

A method of stellar source selection for validating the quality of image is investigated for a low Earth orbit optical remote sensing satellite. Image performance of the optical payload needs to be validated after its launch into orbit. The stellar sources are ideal source points that can be used to validate the quality of optical images. For the image validation, stellar sources should be the brightest as possible in the charge-coupled device dynamic range. The time delayed and integration technique, which is used to observe the ground, is also performed to observe the selected stars. The relations between the incident radiance at aperture and V magnitude of a star are established using Gunn & Stryker's star catalogue of spectrum. Applying this result, an appropriate image performance index is determined, and suitable stars and areas of the sky scene are selected for the optical payload on a remote sensing satellite to observe. The result of this research can be utilized to validate the quality of optical payload of a satellite in orbit.

• Journal of the Institute of Electronics and Information Engineers
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• v.50 no.12
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• pp.14-21
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• 2013

In satellite operations and space exploration missions, a ranging is one of the most essential technologies to get its navigational information of space probes. Recently, the importance of cross-support between space agencies is increasing for more fine performance of space mission. For cross-support, mutually compatible ranging system between space agencies is recommended. For these reasons, the consultative committee for space data systems (CCSDS) recommends pseudo noise (PN) ranging as a digital standard ranging system. The length of PN sequence in CCSDS standard is proper for deep space missions, however, it is too long to use for ranging in near earth missions. In this paper, we propose Variable Length PN sequence schemes suitable for ranging of near earth satellites, such as low-earth orbit (LEO), medium-earth orbit (MEO) and Geostationary orbit (GEO). Therefore we propose variable length PN sequence ranging system including CCSDS standard for multiple missions.

• Bulletin of the Korean Space Science Society
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• 2006.10a
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• pp.151-151
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• 2006

• Bulletin of the Korean Space Science Society
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• 2006.10a
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• pp.137-137
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• 2006

• International Journal of Aeronautical and Space Sciences
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.11-18
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• 2013

Human spaceflight experience in extra-vehicular activity (EVA) is limited to two regimes: the micro-gravity environment of Earth orbit, and the lunar surface environment at one-sixth of Earth's gravity. Future human missions to low-gravity bodies, including asteroids, comets, and the moons of Mars, will require EVA techniques that are beyond the current experience base. In order to develop robust approaches for exploring these small bodies, the dynamics associated with human exploration on low-gravity surface must be characterized. This paper examines the translational and rotational motion of an astronaut on the surface of a small body, and it is shown that the low-gravity environment will pose challenges to the surface mobility of an astronaut, unless new tools and EVA techniques are developed. Possibilities for addressing these challenges are explored, and utilization of the International Space Station to test operational concepts and hardware in preparation for a low-gravity surface EVA is discussed.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.379-386
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• 2015

This work presents fuel-optimal altitude maintenance of Low-Earth-Orbit (LEO) spacecrafts experiencing non-negligible air drag and J2 perturbation. A pseudospectral (direct) method is first applied to roughly estimate an optimal fuel consumption strategy, which is employed as an initial guess to precisely determine itself. Based on the physical specifications of KOrea Multi-Purpose SATellite-2 (KOMPSAT-2), a Korean artificial satellite, numerical simulations show that a satellite ascends with full thrust at the early stage of the maneuver period and then descends with null thrust. While the thrust profile is presumably bang-off, it is difficult to precisely determine the switching time by using a pseudospectral method only. This is expected, since the optimal switching epoch does not coincide with one of the collocation points prescribed by the pseudospectral method, in general. As an attempt to precisely determine the switching time and the associated optimal thrust history, a shooting (indirect) method is then employed with the initial guess being obtained through the pseudospectral method. This hybrid process allows the determination of the optimal fuel consumption for LEO spacecrafts and their thrust profiles efficiently and precisely.