Upload
others
View
3
Download
0
Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
Quentin Rhoné – [email protected]
FDSSO conference - 23 september 2021
Fully automated station-keeping for new
generation of Airbus observation satellites
23/09/2021 Copyright Airbus Defence and Space, all rights reserved2
Confidential
Outline Context
Quartz product Software architecture
Capabilities
Station-keeping automation
Automation objectives
Focus on each objectives
Conclusion
Context
23/09/2021 Copyright Airbus Defence and Space, all rights reserved3
French Atlantic coast pictures taken by Pleiades Neo satellites
Context Quartz product Automation Conclusion
The new generation of Quartz is based on modern web-technologies,
yet still benefits from the years of experience acquired by the previous generation.
It is used by AIRBUS observation Pleiades NEO satellites (2021 launches)
23/09/20214 Copyright Airbus Defence and Space, all rights reserved
Quartz Product
23/09/2021 Copyright Airbus Defence and Space, all rights reserved5
Architecture, GUI & Capabilities
Quartz Architecture
Architecture choices have been driven by operation needs. Launching runs by several
operators or in batch is equivalent for the server.
secure network, no internet access required
database
Operator 1
Operator N
Operator 2
Quartz Server
23/09/2021 Copyright Airbus Defence and Space, all rights reserved6
Context Quartz Product Automation Conclusion
SCC
Quartz Interface
Modern in-browser interface :
• Very intuitive
• Multi-task using browser tabs
• Perfectly suited for multi-screen
displays
• No installation on workstation
• Access secured via personal login
REST-API support to easily perform
batch computations
23/09/2021 Copyright Airbus Defence and Space, all rights reserved7
Context Quartz product Automation Conclusion
Capabilities (1/2)
23/09/2021 Copyright Airbus Defence and Space, all rights reserved8
Context Quartz Product Automation Conclusion
Covers all flight-dynamics needs
• Mission profiles
– Geostationary orbits
– Low Earth orbits
• Mission phases
– Launch and Early Operations
– Station-Keeping (SK)
– End of Life
• Propulsion types
– Chemical
– Electrical
23/09/2021 Copyright Airbus Defence and Space, all rights reserved9
Context Quartz Product Automation Conclusion
Capabilities (2/2)
Quartz is fully connected to its
environment:
• Any automatic or manual FDS
activity is stored in Quartz
database and can be re-
opened/re-run
• Quartz broadcasts a large
selection of outputs toward the
control center (telecommands,
ephemeris, events…) and the
operators for monitoring and
alarms.
• For collision avoidance
management, Quartz is
interfaced with some conjunction
data message (CDM) providers
Full station-keeping automation
23/09/2021 Copyright Airbus Defence and Space, all rights reserved10
Automation objectives
• To guarantee a high quality service,
numerous objectives are always seeked by
FD teams:
• SK improved accuracy
• Reactivity to changing environment
• Increase spacecraft safety
• Decrease operational costs
• At Airbus, automation of station keeping was
seen as a promising solution to all these
objectives
• Quartz is designed in accordance with it in
terms of architecture, data flow & interfaces
with the SCC.
23/09/2021 Copyright Airbus Defence and Space, all rights reserved11
Context Quartz Product Full SK Automation Conclusion
Cons Pros
23/09/2021 Copyright Airbus Defence and Space, all rights reserved12
Automated activities
Context Quartz product Full SK Automation Conclusion
• All Flight Dynamics activities
necessary to station-keeping are
automated
• The FD sequence is run after each
visibility
• The global sequence runs in less
than 30 minutes (including risk
avoidance management)
Partial
automation
Partial
automation
Fully validated by the first months of automated Station Keeping on PNEO 3 & 4
Partial
automation
23/09/2021 Copyright Airbus Defence and Space, all rights reserved13
More accurate station-keeping
Context Quartz product Full SK Automation Conclusion
Automatic orbit control is activated once after each visibility
• Orbit knowledge is updated
• Covariance is kept small
• Constraints are updated frequently
• SK maneuver needs are updated
Coupled with high precision thrust, the station-keeping
accuracy can be achieved very accurately
Maneuver implementation takes multiple constraints into
account :
• Spacecraft constraints
• Mission constraints
• Environment evolutions
SK accuracy improved despite numerous constraints
Plots provided by Quartz are powerful tools to monitor automated
activities
23/09/2021 Copyright Airbus Defence and Space, all rights reserved14
Improved collision risk avoidance
Context Quartz product Full SK Automation Conclusion
Collision risk avoidance maneuver implementation is
integrated to the station keeping FD sequence:
• It performs multi debris avoidance to decrease the global
risk over a pre-defined horizon
• High frequency automated exchanges with 18SPCS
(ephemeris upload / CDM download)
• Risk computation with the most recent orbit knowledge
• Scaling Probability of Collision (PoC) maximize the
spacecraft safety
• Collision Avoidance Maneuvers (CAM) computation
optimization finds an optimal solution in terms of risk
decrease
PNEO 3 first CAM
• Global risk exceeded the threshold 3h before
Time of Closest Approach (TCA)
• Automatic CAM computed immediately to
decrease the risk
• CAM automatically uploaded at the next visibility
This system offers a higher reactivity for collision avoidance management
time
TCA
Global PoC >
threeshold
CAM upload CAM
3h duration
23/09/2021 Copyright Airbus Defence and Space, all rights reserved15
Higher reactivity level
Context Quartz product Full SK Automation Conclusion
Quartz environment has a strong dynamic and requires
many updates to be performant (see table 1).
Automation allows Quartz to get this high update
frequency.
Focus on time-efficient activities and on setting-up a well-
oiled data flow
Environment parameters
Typical updatefrequency
Data provider
Conjunction Data Message (CDM)
Every 8h 18 SPCS / EU-SST
Mission plan Every visibility Mission center
Orbit knowledge Every visibility Quartz orbit determination
Spacecraft parameters
Every visibility Control center / telemetry
Solar activity Every day Suitable website
IERS data Every day Suitable website
Quartz data are frequently updated to obtain high reactivity
Table 1: As SK environment is constantly evolving, Quartz updates
regularly its data from different data providers
23/09/2021 Copyright Airbus Defence and Space, all rights reserved16
Low Flight Dynamics operational costs
Context Quartz product Full SK Automation Conclusion
• By design, no Flight Dynamics daily manual operations
• Operational team is in charge of long term management and
reporting
• Airbus Flight Dynamics software developments team is in
charge of Quartz maintenance
• Airbus Flight Dynamics specialists are on-call for specific
support
Flight Dynamics automation allows staff savings
Daily operational costs
Saved time for Flight
Dynamics specialists
23/09/2021 Copyright Airbus Defence and Space, all rights reserved18
Context Quartz product Full SK Automation Conclusion
QUARTZ, a modern Flight Dynamics Software
Significant Airbus experience in Flight Dynamics
Intuitive GUI
Powerful framework features
Performant algorithms
QUARTZ for automations Simplified automation set-up of any manual feature
Full station-keeping automation improves reactivity, accuracy and spacecraft safety
Operational costs are heavily reduced
QUARTZ, an operational software Operates last Airbus observation satellites
Several month of successful in-flight automated operations
First automated collision avoidance maneuver realized from Airbus control center
In a few words
Pleiades Neo 3 Flight Dynamics activities are automated with
Quartz software
Pleiades Neo 3 image of Singapore