Mikhail Ovchinnikov

The nanosatellite Munin, a simple tool for auroral research

Abstract The scientific objective of the nanosatellite Munin is to collect data of the auroral activity over both the northern and southern poles. The satellite has been developed by Swedish Institute of Space Physics under international cooperation. The purpose of the Munin project is both to achieve the scientific objectives and to show that it is possible to achieve such objectives by a very small satellite. A passive magnetic attitude control system is used to stabilize Munin along the direction of an intensity vector of the local geomagnetic field. The paper presents the development of the attitude control system and gives a brief discription of the tools and algorithms used for the attitude determination.

Satellite relative motion determination during separation using image processing

Satellite relative position and attitude determination algorithm by video processing is developed. The algorithm is numerically simulated and studied. Relative state determination accuracy depending on a distance and pre-defined points image size is investigated. Microsatellite ‘Chibis-M’ and spaceship ‘Progress-13M’ relative motion after separation is determined by the algorithm.

Formation-Flying Momentum Exchange Control by Separate Mass

A, B = amplitudes for Cauchy problem, m a, b = arbitrary constants for circular trajectory, m C1 : : : C6 = arbitrary constants for Cauchy problem, m K, L, M, N = parameters of error ellipsoid k = ratio of masses of additional body to the satellite m = mass, kg R = position in presence of errors, m R = acceptable error, m r = satellite/additional body position in orbital reference frame x; y; z , m s, u = angular variables t = time, s te = time of mass ejection, s tm = time of mass hit, s v = satellite/additional body velocity, m∕s Δ = determinant in boundary value problem δv = δ _ x; δ _ y; δ_ z relative velocity of mass separation, m∕s e = error μ = gravitational parameter of the Earth ρ = radius of circular orbit, m Φ1, Φ2, Φ3 = minimizable functions φ, ψ = phases for Cauchy problem ω = orbital angular velocity, 1∕s