On development of the spacecraft control system’s structure

Abstract

Efficiency of the satellite vehicle system depends largely on expeditious interaction with and efficient responsiveness of the ground control complex. Ground control complex is a distributed system of interconnected ground stations. Each ground station has its own radio coverage zone. Boundaries of every station’s radio coverage zone depend directly on the ground elevation profile where it is located. Communication between a ground station and a spacecraft is available only when the spacecraft comes into the station’s radio coverage zone, that is, when it is flying over a specific territory. Consequently, when building a new or upgrading an existing spacecraft control system, emphasis lies not only on the choice of the number of control stations, but also on their geographic location. This paper suggests a model for designing a spacecraft control system’s structure enabling engineers to choose the optimal number of control stations and their geographic location, and ensuring necessary timing for communications between the ground control complex and spacecrafts. The paper gives an example of selection of ground control stations and of their best geographic location based on the suggested model.