Usage of Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) for improved satellite tracking

Abstract

With the increasing number of satellite launches, especially in Low Earth Orbit (LEO), optical tracking can offer a convenient enhancement of tracking precision and availability. Spaceborne active illumination devices, such as LED payloads, can offer a significant improvement to optical observations, extending the observability interval to the whole eclipse time and performing optimized flash sequences for identification, orbit determination, attitude reconstruction or low data rate communication. The main features of LED panels for optical tracking mounted on small satellites platforms (and with particular regards to nano-satellite platforms) are outlined in this paper, along with the description of the design drivers. The analysis of the performance is referred to Sun-Synchronous (at 700 km of altitude) and International Space Station (400 km) orbits, while the ground segment and the optical link budget reference design relies on a standard university space debris observation station architecture. The paper also outlines the advantages of using different observation techniques and the variety of flashing patterns. The LEDSAT 1U CubeSat, aiming at demonstrating the effectiveness of an LED-based payload for observation and tracking, is used as a study case for examples of the LED payloads and related operations that are reported and described in this paper.

Ladybeetle-I: design of the brightest beacon lamp for LEO microsatellite

“…The brightness LEDSAT 1U CubeSat is 8.5 magnitude. In 2019, Paolo Marzioli, et al carried out the satellite tracking performance research with fitsat-1, and new cubic satellites are planned to be launched in the future [5].…”

Stellar Angle-Aided Pulse Phase Estimation and Its Navigation Application

“…Thus, developing an autonomous navigation technique with anti-interference capability for these spacecraft is necessary. Furthermore, due to the increase in the number of spacecraft launches, the required improvement in navigation systems can be understood from the perspective of the new generation of instrumentation for Space Traffic Management (STM) [5][6][7].…”

Experimental Reflection Evaluation for Attitude Monitoring of Space Orbiting Systems with NRL Arch Method

“…In this frame, with several thousand objects orbiting around Earth, having a tool similar to a radar system that could help to track objects and determine their attitude and re-entry trajectory is therefore of primary importance. In order to envisage the trajectory of these objects, one has to know their attitude to evaluate the effects of the atmospheric drag on the trajectory itself, also associating radar measurements with other tracking systems such as the optical system, for example, LED (Light Emission Diodes) [4][5][6][7], or light-curve acquisition systems [8][9][10] or magnetometer data [11]. Knowing the attitude using radar systems, therefore, becomes one of the fundamental tasks for the detection of space debris, as demonstrated by the recent case of the Chinese Space Station Tiangong-1 [12].…”