CUBESAT PASS QUALITY ANALYSIS AND PREDICTIVE MODEL
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Authors
Leone, John J. III
Subjects
Mobile CubeSat Command and Control
MC3
Satellite Operations Center
SOC
Cube Satellite
CubeSat
PropCube
conflicting pass
antenna prioritization
pass prioritization
ground station optimization
saturation
scheduling
pass density
pass quality metric
pass value function
predictive model
benefit value function
whole pass analysis
segmented pass analysis
ascending pass
descending pass
preamble
decode
noise environment
free space loss
interference
MATLAB
STK
MC3
Satellite Operations Center
SOC
Cube Satellite
CubeSat
PropCube
conflicting pass
antenna prioritization
pass prioritization
ground station optimization
saturation
scheduling
pass density
pass quality metric
pass value function
predictive model
benefit value function
whole pass analysis
segmented pass analysis
ascending pass
descending pass
preamble
decode
noise environment
free space loss
interference
MATLAB
STK
Advisors
Newman, James H.
Date of Issue
2018-06
Date
Publisher
Monterey, CA; Naval Postgraduate School
Language
Abstract
The current ground station infrastructure of the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) Mobile CubeSat Command and Control (MC3) Network can sufficiently manage the existing three CubeSats that it has been tasked to monitor and control. However, the projected growth in the quantity of these satellites will produce greater likelihood of conflicting passes, a condition where multiple CubeSats are above the horizon simultaneously with respect to a single ground station and are competing for limited downlink antenna assets. Consequently, as more CubeSats are placed in orbit, the ground stations that communicate with them need to become more efficient and require optimization strategies to make best use of the network. Using the MC3 historical data set for its PropCube satellites, this thesis creates a grading scale that can be used to prioritize which PropCube should have antenna priority based on the expectation of downlinking data and when during the satellite’s pass an operator should expect to capture that data. This value function can be used by an optimization program, such as that being developed in the NPS Small Satellite Laboratory, to maximize the data retrieved from a constellation of satellites. Additionally, the tools developed for analyzing and understanding MC3 PropCube passes can be used to determine value functions for other ground station networks in order to efficiently schedule CubeSat contacts.
Type
Thesis
Description
Series/Report No
Department
Space Systems Academic Group (SP)
Organization
Identifiers
NPS Report Number
Sponsors
Funder
Format
Citation
Distribution Statement
Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.
Rights
This publication is a work of the U.S. Government as defined in Title 17, United States Code, Section 101. Copyright protection is not available for this work in the United States.