Session
Weekend Session 2: Missions at Scale - Research & Academia
Location
Utah State University, Logan, UT
Abstract
Swarm missions are based on the use of several spacecraft working together to pursue a specific task for a specific mission. To allow these elements to work together, it is necessary for them to be able to communicate with each other and to synchronize themselves within the swarm. Moreover, the mission may likely require knowing the relative or absolute positions of the spacecraft in the swarm.
In order to collect simultaneous measurements allowing computing localization and synchronization in the swarm, a full duplex CDMA communication method is studied by CNES. An Inter Satellite Link (ISL) transmitter prototype is currently under development and first performance evaluation is conducted.
CNES is also working on measurement signal processing. Based on signal exchange between satellites, one can estimate jointly the distance and clock offset between a pair of satellites.
In parallel, CNES is developing a swarm simulator implying both dynamics and functional behavior of each spacecraft in the swarm. First, this simulator will be software only but its architecture will allow integration of hardware equipment in a future version. This simulator will be used for the validation of the services provided by the link at a system level.
Communication, Localization and Synchronization of Spacecraft for Swarm Missions
Utah State University, Logan, UT
Swarm missions are based on the use of several spacecraft working together to pursue a specific task for a specific mission. To allow these elements to work together, it is necessary for them to be able to communicate with each other and to synchronize themselves within the swarm. Moreover, the mission may likely require knowing the relative or absolute positions of the spacecraft in the swarm.
In order to collect simultaneous measurements allowing computing localization and synchronization in the swarm, a full duplex CDMA communication method is studied by CNES. An Inter Satellite Link (ISL) transmitter prototype is currently under development and first performance evaluation is conducted.
CNES is also working on measurement signal processing. Based on signal exchange between satellites, one can estimate jointly the distance and clock offset between a pair of satellites.
In parallel, CNES is developing a swarm simulator implying both dynamics and functional behavior of each spacecraft in the swarm. First, this simulator will be software only but its architecture will allow integration of hardware equipment in a future version. This simulator will be used for the validation of the services provided by the link at a system level.
