• The Journal of Korea Robotics Society
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.71-78
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• 2024

The paper presents a hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) system designed for satellite movement testing in the microgravity environment on the ground with two industrial robots. Especially, the paper deals with the contact between satellites during rendezvous and docking simulations of satellites using a robotic HILS system. For this purpose, the admittance control method plays a core role in preventing damage to the satellite or robot from contact force between satellites. The coordinate frames are transformed into the mass center of the satellite and the admittance control at the level of exponential coordinates is adopted to actively use the properties of Lie groups related to tracking errors. These methods effectively mitigate the risk of robot damage during inter-satellite contact and ensure efficient tracking performance of satellite movements.

• Journal of Positioning, Navigation, and Timing
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.301-307
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• 2024

In this paper, we propose a round trip time (RTT)-enabled Doppler-based positioning method considering the low earth orbit (LEO) satellite visibility restriction. Doppler-based positioning typically requires visibility to at least eight satellites, which is often unfeasible due to the limited coverage of LEO satellites, as beamforming technique is applied to current LEO satellites. To solve this problem, we utilize the RTT measurements, assuming that a communication link exists between the user equipment (UE) and LEO satellites. We employ the Newton-Raphson method to estimate the UE position with RTT and Doppler measurements. We analyze the positioning performance of the considered framework via simulation, demonstrating its performance in 3D positioning errors under varying satellite numbers and measurement errors.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Aeronautical & Space Sciences
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• v.44 no.8
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• pp.728-740
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• 2016

Korea developed several satellites through government-led satellite development projects, and now operates earth observation satellites of various sensors, science and technology satellites, and communication satellites. Satellites can be utilized in many fields, and Satellite Information, Global Navigation Satellite System, Satellite Communications and Broadcasting, Space Solar Power System are typical application fields. Now that we have developed and operated several satellites, we have to concentrate more efforts on satellite application. In this paper, we reviewed the current states of the technologies of four satellite application fields mentioned above and analyzed the future prospects of them.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Propulsion Engineers
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.95-108
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• 2019

Electric propulsion is a type of space propulsion with a high specific impulse by accelerating propellant using electrical energy and brings about reduction of the fuel mass and launch costs of satellites so that it is being extensively studied in the world. Electric thrusters are widely used for various purposes from micro satellites to large satellites and from low Earth orbit satellites to spacecraft for exploration. Recently, satellites using full-electric propulsion have been developed, and the number of satellites with electric propulsion is also gradually increasing. In this paper, the current status and trends of research on electric propulsion in the United States, Europe, and Japan will be reported.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.237-245
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• 2015

A strategy is needed for a regional survey of geosynchronous orbits (GSOs) to monitor known space objects and detect uncataloged space objects. On the basis of the Inter-Agency Debris Committee's recommendation regarding the protected region of geosynchronous Earth orbit (GEO), target satellites with perigee and apogee of $GEO{\pm}200km$ and various inclinations are selected for analysis. The status of the GSO region was analyzed using the satellite distribution based on the orbital characteristics in publicly available two-line element data. Natural perturbation effects cause inactive satellites to drift to two stable longitudinal points. Active satellites usually maintain the designed positions as a result of regular or irregular maneuver operations against their natural drift. To analyze the detection rate of a single optical telescope, 152 out of 412 active satellites and 135 out of 288 inactive satellites in the GSO region were selected on the basis of their visibility at the observation site in Daejeon, Korea. By using various vertical view ranges and various numbers of observations of the GSO region, the detection efficiencies were analyzed for a single night, and the numbers of follow-up observations were determined. The orbital estimation accuracies were also checked using the arc length and number of observed data points to maintain the GSO satellite catalog.

• Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.50 no.4
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• pp.111-124
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• 2017

The environmental dependence of the morphology of dwarf galaxies in isolated satellite systems is analyzed to understand the origin of the dwarf galaxy morphology using the visually classified morphological types of 5836 local galaxies with $z{\leq}0.01$. We consider six sub-types of dwarf galaxies, dS0, dE, $dE_{bc}$, dSph, $dE_{blue}$, and dI, of which the first four sub-types are considered as early-type and the last two as late-type. The environmental parameters we consider are the projected distance from the host galaxy ($r_p$), local and global background densities, and the host morphology. The spatial distributions of dwarf satellites of early-type galaxies are much different from those of dwarf satellites of late-type galaxies, suggesting the host morphology combined with $r_p$ plays a decisive role on the morphology of the dwarf satellite galaxies. The local and global background densities play no significant role on the morphology of dwarfs in the satellite systems hosted by early-type galaxies. However, in the satellite system hosted by late-type galaxies, the global background densities of dE and dSph satellites are significantly different from those of $dE_{bc}$, $dE_{blue}$, and dI satellites. The blue-cored dwarf satellites ($dE_{bc}$) of early-type galaxies are likely to be located at $r_p$ > 0.3 Mpc to keep their cold gas from the ram pressure stripping by the hot corona of early-type galaxies. The spatial distribution of $dE_{bc}$ satellites of early-type galaxies and their global background densities suggest that their cold gas is intergalactic material accreted before they fall into the satellite systems.

• The Journal of the Korea institute of electronic communication sciences
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.995-1002
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• 2022

Global Navigation Satellite System(GNSS) is a convenient system that acquires position and time information of a receiver if only satellite signals can be received anywhere in the world. However navigation signals include errors and a position error occurs according to the reception state of the signal. Also, a position error is affected by the geometric arrangement of the satellites. Therefore a receiver position performance varies by the number and status of visible satellites The condition of satellite signals is not good when the satellite rises or sets and the position change of receiver occurs when the signal is blocked by an obstacle such as a building in the urban area. In this paper, we proposed methods to improve the GNSS performance by using pseudorange correction method estimating the correction amount and the visible satellites selection method. By applying the proposed methods to an environment in which the number of visible satellites changes variously, the performance enhancement was verified.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.319-332
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• 2011

The objectives of this study are to analyze the satellite visibility at the randomly established ground sites, to determine the five optimal ground sites to perform the optical surveillance and tracking of domestic satellites, and to verify the acquisition of the optical observation time sufficient to maintain the precise ephemeris at optimal ground sites that have been already determined. In order to accomplish these objectives, we analyzed the visibility for sun-synchronous orbit satellites, low earth orbit satellites, middle earth orbit satellites and domestic satellites as well as the continuous visibility along with the fictitious satellite ground track, and calculate the effective visibility. For the analysis, we carried out a series of repetitive process using the satellite tool kit simulation software developed by Analytical Graphics Incorporated. The lighting states of the penumbra and direct sun were set as the key constraints of the optical observation. The minimum of the observation satellite elevation angle was set to be 20 degree, whereas the maximum of the sun elevation angle was set to be -10 degree which is within the range of the nautical twilight. To select the candidates for the optimal optical observation, the entire globe was divided into 84 sectors in a constant interval, the visibility characteristics of the individual sectors were analyzed, and 17 ground sites were arbitrarily selected and analyzed further. Finally, five optimal ground sites (Khurel Togoot Observatory, Assy-Turgen Observatory, Tubitak National Observatory, Bisdee Tier Optical Astronomy Observatory, and South Africa Astronomical Observatory) were determined. The total observation period was decided as one year. To examine the seasonal variation, the simulation was performed for the period of three days or less with respect to spring, summer, fall and winter. In conclusion, we decided the optimal ground sites to perform the optical surveillance and tracking of domestic satellites and verified that optical observation time sufficient to maintain the precise ephemeris could be acquired at the determined observatories.

• The Korean Journal of Air & Space Law and Policy
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• v.9
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• pp.445-488
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• 1997

In the forthcoming 21st century new technical and scientific developments in outer space demands new approaches towards the problems arising in several fields of the use and exploitation of outer space including practical applications. The main purposes of this study are to analyze the legal problems of geostationary orbital position, telecommunication, direct television broadcasting by uses of artificial satellites. Communication via artificial Earth satellites was one of the first applications of space technology and is now one of the most developed field. From the technical and economic standpoints the advantages of world-wide satellites communication system are too all obvious. However, as the practical uses of space technology become more freguent, the legal conflicts among nations have become more divisive. One of the problem grown in uses of artificial satellites is that of the increasing shortage of suitable orbital slot positions for satellites, especially in geostationary orbit. Legal status of geostationary orbit as a limited resourece have to be reviewed in consideration of the side effect of the "First use, first-served" principle. The geostationary orbit is to be used for the benifits of all mankind and to be guaranteed for each state institutionaly in order to have eguitable access to the use of the orbit. Rapid increase of satellites broadcasting system in not only developed countries but also in developing countries opened up new possibilities with one another's scientific and cultural achievements. But there is also a potential danger that this powerful new instrument of influencing public opinion will be abused. Such a danger incudes spill-over or harmful interference. This controversial issue brings about the question whether prior consent from the receiver nation is needed to broadcast across international boundaries. Some states have rejected prior consent because it interfere with the free flow of information. Many other countries have opposed that opinion as an invasion and violation of sovereignty and as a violation of the 1967 Treaty and the UN Charter. Since declaration of the First Year of Outer Space in 1985, our country have promoted the plan of launching communication and broadcasting satellites. With the Koreasat launched in 1995 as the start, a real satellite-telecommunication era was opened in korea. According to this new development of our country, there will also rise various legal problems related to satellite broadcasting and telecommunication such as the inflow of foreign programs, the permeation of culture and the infringement of program copyright. Consequently the effective reactions to these problems in satellite-communication era should be tried including international cooperation. It is therefore to take into careful consideration the legal issues which may arise in outer space activities and to formulate positive policy on international cooperation with surrounding or advanced countries and international organization concerned. For this purpose the United Nations also prepares the UNISPACE III in 1999, to enable the international community to meet a more promising 21st century.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Surveying, Geodesy, Photogrammetry and Cartography
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.231-238
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• 2007

This paper describes the availability of the forthcoming integrated GNSS(Global Navigation Positioning System) positioning that includes GPS(Global Positioning System), Galileo, and QZSS(Quasi-Zenith Satellites System). We built a signal propagation model that identifies direct, multipath, and diffraction signals, using the principles of specular reflection and ray tracing technique. The signal propagation model was combined with 3D GIS(three-dimensional geographic information system) in order to measure the satellite visibility and positioning error factors, such as the number of visible satellites, average elevation of visible satellites, optimized DOP(dilution of position) values, and the portion of multipath-producing satellites. Since Galileo and QZSS will not be fully operational until 2010, we used a simulation in comparing GPS and GNSS positioning for a $1km{\times}1km$ developed area in Shinjuku, Tokyo. To account for local terrain variation. we divided the target area into 40,000 $5m{\times}5m$ grid cells. The number of visible satellites and that of multipath-free satellites will be greatly increased in the integrated GNSS environment while the average elevation of visible satellites will be higher in the GPS positioning. Much decreased PDOP(position dilution of precision) values indicate the appropriate satellite/user geometry of the integrated GNSS; however, in dense urban areas, multipath mitigation will be more important than the satellite/user geometry. Thus, the efforts for applying current technologies of multipath mitigation to the future GNSS environment will be necessary.