• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.511-520
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• 2009

In this study, the Ocean Tide Loading (OTL) constituents were detected by the Precise Point Positioning (PPP) technique using GPS. Then, the GPS estimates of OTL constituents were compared with the predictions of the ocean tide models. We picked three permanent GPS stations as test sites and they are ICNW, SEOS, and CJUN. To detect the OTL constituents using GPS, we created vertical coordinate time series at 10-minute intervals using the PPP approach implemented in the GIPSY software. Through the tidal harmonic analysis of this height time series, the four major constituents ($M_2$, $S_2$, $K_1$, $O_1$) were determined. The amplitude obtained from the GPS height time series of the OTL constituents showed best match with the model predictions at CJUN, while the phase showed closest match at ICNW. The amplitude accuracy of the $M_2$, which is the dominant factor out of the 11 major constituents, was 24.8% on average.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.145-154
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• 2007

Antenna pointing analysis for a geostationary satellite has been performed for using the NORAD Two-Line-Elements (TLE) converted from osculating Keplerian orbital elements. In order to check the possibility of the reception of the satellite signal, the antenna offset angles have been derived for the Communications, Ocean, and Meteorological Satellite (COMS) which carries out weekly East-West and North-South station-keeping maneuvers and twice a day thruster assisted momentum dumping. Throughout the analysis, it is shown that the use of converted NORAD TLE simplifies the antenna pointing related interfaces in satellite mission control system. For a highly eccentric transfer orbit cases, further analysis presents that the converted NORAD TLE from near apogee gives more favorable results.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.521-528
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• 2009

While it is well known that space environment can produce spacecraft anomaly, defining space environment effects for each anomalies is difficult. This is caused by the fact that spacecraft anomaly shows various symptoms and reproducing it is impossible. In this study, we try to find the conditions of when spacecraft failures happen more frequently and give satellite operators useful information. Especially, our study focuses on the geosynchronous satellites which cost is high and required high reliability. We used satellite anomaly data given by Satellite News Digest which is internet newspaper providing space industry news. In our analysis, 88 anomaly cases occurred from 1997 to 2008 shows bad corelation with Kp index. Satellite malfunctions were likely to happen in spring and fall and in local time from midnight to dawn. In addition, we found the probability of anomaly increase when high energy electron flux is high. This is more clearly appeared in solar minimum than maximum period.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.373-384
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• 2006

The Bevis' mean temperature equation (MTE) is generally used in estimating Precipitable Water Vapor (PWV) based on GPS measurements. Because the equation was derived from Worth American meteorological data, however, it may induce errors in PWV if the equation is applied to Korea which has different climate conditions. In this study, we developed a new MTE using local meteorological data. We compared PWVs from the new equation with those from the Bevis and two other local equations. The PWV differences from the four equations increase as a function of surface temperatures at the observation site, reaching up to $1{\sim}3mm$.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.43-60
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• 2024

Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter (KPLO) is South Korea's first space exploration mission, developed by the Korea Aerospace Research Institute. It aims to develop technologies for lunar exploration, explore lunar science, and test new technologies. KPLO was launched on August 5, 2022, by a Falcon-9 launch vehicle from cape canaveral space force station (CCSFS) in the United States and placed on a ballistic lunar transfer (BLT) trajectory. A total of four trajectory correction maneuvers were performed during the approximately 4.5-month trans-lunar cruise phase to reach the Moon. Starting with the first lunar orbit insertion (LOI) maneuver on December 16, the spacecraft performed a total of three maneuvers before arriving at the lunar mission orbit, at an altitude of 100 kilometers, on December 27, 2022. After entering lunar orbit, the commissioning phase validated the operation of the mission mode, in which the payload is oriented toward the center of the Moon. After completing about one month of commissioning, normal mission operations began, and each payload successfully performed its planned mission. All of the spacecraft operations that KPLO performs from launch to normal operations were designed through the system operations design process. This includes operations that are automatically initiated post-separation from the launch vehicle, as well as those in lunar transfer orbit and lunar mission orbit. Key operational procedures such as the spacecraft's initial checkout, trajectory correction maneuvers, LOI, and commissioning were developed during the early operation preparation phase. These procedures were executed effectively during both the early and normal operation phases. The successful execution of these operations confirms the robust verification of the system operation.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.299-304
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• 2011

As more satellites are designed to downlink their observed image data through the X-band frequency band, it is inevitable that the occupied bandwidth of a target satellite will overlap with that of other X-band downlink satellites. For sun-synchronized low earth orbit satellites, in particular, it can be expected that two or more satellites be placed within the looking angle of a ground station antenna at the same time. Due to the overlapping in the frequency band, signals transmitted from the adjacent satellites act as interferers, leading to degraded link performance between target satellite and ground station. In this paper, link analysis was initiated by modeling the radiation pattern of ground station antenna through a validated Jet Propulsion Laboratory peak envelope model. From the relative antenna gain depending on the offset angle from center axis of maximum antenna directivity, the ratio of received interference signal level to the target signal level was calculated. As a result, it was found that the degradation increased when the offset angle was within the first point of radiation pattern. For a 7.3 m antenna, serious link degradation began at an offset angle of 0.4 degrees. From this analysis, the link performance of the coming satellite passes can be recognized, which is helpful to establish an operating procedure that will prevent the ground station from receiving corrupted image data in the event of a degraded link.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.419-430
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• 2005

We have carried out a statistical analysis on solar wind dynamic pressure pulses during geomagnetic storms. The Dst index was used to identify 111 geomagnetic storms that occurred in the time interval from 1997 through 2001. We have selected only the events having the minimum Dst value less than -50 nT. In order to identify the pressure impact precisely, we have used the horizontal component data of the magnetic field H (northward) at low latitudes as well as the solar wind pressure data themselves. Our analysis leads to the following results: (1) The enhancement of H due to a pressure pulse tends to be proportional to the magnitude of minimum Dst value; (2) The occurrence frequency of pressure pulses also increases with storm intensity. (3) For about $30\%$ of our storms, the occurrence frequency of pressure pulses is greater than $0.4\#/hr$, implying that to. those storms the pressure pulses occur more frequently than do periodic substorms with an average substorm duration of 2.5 hrs. In order to understand the origin of these pressure pulses, we have first examined responsible storm drivers. It turns out that $65\%$ of the studied storms we driven by coronal mass ejections (CMEs) while others are associated with corotating interaction regions $(6.3\%)$ or Type II bursts $(7.2\%)$. Out of the storms that are driven by CMEs, over $70\%$ show that the main phase interval overlaps with the sheath, namely, the region between CME body and the shock, and with the leading region of a CME. This suggests that the origin of the frequent pressure pulses is often due to density fluctuations in the sheath region and the leading edge of the CME body.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.209-218
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• 2007

In this paper, we have presented the observational result for the photometric quality of main telescopes in Gimhae Astronomical Observatory. Also we performed the observation of searching new minor planets as competitive work in public observatories. The observation was carried out using 60cm telescope of Gimhae Astronomical Observatory on 2007 January 13. And, $Sch\ddot{u}ler$ BVI filters and 1K CCD camera (AP8p) were used. To define the quality of CCD photometry, we observed the region of well-known standard stars in the open cluster M67. From observed data, The transformation coefficients and airmass coefficients were obtained, and the accuracy of CCD photometry was investigated. From PSF photometry, we obtained the color-magnitude diagram of M67, and considered the useful magnitude limit and the physical properties of M67. This method can be successfully used to confirm the photometric quality of main telescope in public observatories. To investigate the detection possibility of unknown object as astroid, we observed the near area of the opposition in the ecliptic plane. And we discussed the result. Our result show that it can be possible to detect minor planets in solar system brighter than $V{\sim}18.3mag$. and it can carry out photometric study brighter than V 16mag. in Gimhae Astronomical Observatory. These results imply that the public observatories can make the research work.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.589-602
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• 2009

We investigated 'Song of the Sky Pacers, Adopted to the New Methods'(新法步天歌), the latest version of Joseon's 'Song of the Sky Pacers'(步天歌). Due to the influence of new knowledge on Chinese asterisms imported from the Ching dynasty, 'Song of the Sky Pacers with New Star-Charts' was written in the eighteenth century. However, the disagreement between song and star-charts was causing confusion in practical applications such as Joseon's national examination for selecting astronomers. In order to improve this situation, Royal Observatory of the Joseon dynasty (觀象監) published 'Song of the Sky Pacers, Adopted to the New Methods' based upon star-charts and song in the Sequel of I-Hsiang-K'ao-ch'eng (欽定儀象考成續編). The New Song was edited by a middle-class professional astronomer Yi Jun-yang (李俊養), and corrected by a nobleman Nam Byeong-gil (南秉吉). We establish a brief biography of Yi Jun-yang. The New Song preserves the genuine characteristics of previous Joseon's Song including the format of title of each lunar mansion and description on the location of the Milky Way in the asterisms. The description of the Milky Way was newly written based on the data in volume 31 and 32 of the Sequel of I-Hsiang-K'ao-ch'eng.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.435-444
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• 2008

High energy charged particles are trapped by geomagnetic field in the region named Van Allen Belt. These particles can move to low altitude along magnetic field and threaten even low altitude spacecraft. Space Radiation can cause equipment failures and on occasions can even destroy operations of satellites in orbit. Sun sensors aboard Science and Technology Satellite (STSAT-l) was designed to detect sun light with silicon solar cells which performance was degraded during satellite operation. In this study, we try to identify which particle contribute to the solar cell degradation with ground based radiation facilities. We measured the short circuit current after bombarding electrons and protons on the solar cells same as STSAT-1 sun sensors. Also we estimated particle flux on the STSAT-l orbit with analyzing NOAA POES particle data. Our result clearly shows STSAT-l solar cell degradation was caused by energetic protons which energy is about 700keV to 1.5MeV. Our result can be applied to estimate solar cell conditions of other satellites.