2,455 research outputs found
Survey of Inter-satellite Communication for Small Satellite Systems: Physical Layer to Network Layer View
Small satellite systems enable whole new class of missions for navigation,
communications, remote sensing and scientific research for both civilian and
military purposes. As individual spacecraft are limited by the size, mass and
power constraints, mass-produced small satellites in large constellations or
clusters could be useful in many science missions such as gravity mapping,
tracking of forest fires, finding water resources, etc. Constellation of
satellites provide improved spatial and temporal resolution of the target.
Small satellite constellations contribute innovative applications by replacing
a single asset with several very capable spacecraft which opens the door to new
applications. With increasing levels of autonomy, there will be a need for
remote communication networks to enable communication between spacecraft. These
space based networks will need to configure and maintain dynamic routes, manage
intermediate nodes, and reconfigure themselves to achieve mission objectives.
Hence, inter-satellite communication is a key aspect when satellites fly in
formation. In this paper, we present the various researches being conducted in
the small satellite community for implementing inter-satellite communications
based on the Open System Interconnection (OSI) model. This paper also reviews
the various design parameters applicable to the first three layers of the OSI
model, i.e., physical, data link and network layer. Based on the survey, we
also present a comprehensive list of design parameters useful for achieving
inter-satellite communications for multiple small satellite missions. Specific
topics include proposed solutions for some of the challenges faced by small
satellite systems, enabling operations using a network of small satellites, and
some examples of small satellite missions involving formation flying aspects.Comment: 51 pages, 21 Figures, 11 Tables, accepted in IEEE Communications
Surveys and Tutorial
Contact Plan Design for GNSS Constellations: A Case Study with Optical Inter-Satellite Links
Optical Inter-Satellite Links (OISLs) are being considered for future Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) constellations.
Thanks to OISLs, the constellation incorporates improved clock synchronization and precise ranging among the satellites, which are essential features to achieve accurate time and orbit determination.
High data rate communications within the space segment also reduce ground segment dependency, by means of decentralized access to information.
However, the dual optimization of data and navigation performance metrics requires a careful assignment of OISLs to the available laser communication terminals on-board.
To this end, we present a Contact Plan Design (CPD) scheme based on a Degree Constrained Minimum Spanning Tree heuristic applied to such OISL-enabled GNSS (O-GNSS) constellations.
Results on the Kepler system, a novel GNSS proposal, show that a fair distribution of connectivity among the constellation can be ensured while optimizing its range-based position estimation capabilities (PDOP).
A PDOP improvement of 85 % is reached on average by the optimized contact plan with respect to a generic scheduler that disregards
the geometrical distribution of the chosen links
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