• Journal of the Korean Society for Aeronautical & Space Sciences
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• v.49 no.9
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• pp.771-780
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• 2021

The space Debris laser ranging system is called to be a definite type of satellite laser ranging system that measures the distance to satellites. It is a system that performs POD (Precise Orbit Determination) by measuring time of flight by firing a laser. Distance precision can be measured in mm-level units, and it is the most precise system among existing systems. Currently, KASI has built SLR in Sejong and Geochang, and utilized SLR data to verify the precise orbits of the STSAT-2C and KOMASAT-5. In recent years, due to the fall or collision of space debris, its satellites have been threatened, and in terms of security, laser tracking of space objects is receiving great interest in order to protect their own space assets and protect the safety of the people. In this paper, a 1.5m-class main mirror was applied for the system design of a multipurpose laser tracking system that considers satellite laser ranging and space object laser tracking. System preliminary performance analysis was performed based on Link Budget analysis considering specifications of major components.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.385-394
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• 2002

Satellite laser ranging is a technique for precisely measuring the range between a laser station and a satellite that is equipped with retro-reflectors. SLR technique was first used for Beacon-B satellite in 1964 with the ranging accuracy of meter level. Now the single shot have centimeter level accuracy and the normal point have mm level in ranging. In this study we developed the algorithm for precise orbit determination using SLR data and performed the orbit determination of GPS-36 satellite using the algorithm. RMS of the estimated orbit was 74cm when compared with IGS precise orbit. It is known that RMS of SLR measurement residual is below 55mm. But we were able to achieve 44mm RMS of residual throughout this study.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
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• 2007.06a
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• pp.47-48
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• 2007

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.227-233
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• 2018

This study presents the generation and accuracy assessment of predicted orbital ephemeris based on satellite laser ranging (SLR) for geostationary Earth orbit (GEO) satellites. Two GEO satellites are considered: GEO-Korea Multi-Purpose Satellite (KOMPSAT)-2B (GK-2B) for simulational validation and Compass-G1 for real-world quality assessment. SLR-based orbit determination (OD) is proactively performed to generate orbital ephemeris. The length and the gap of the predicted orbital ephemeris were set by considering the consolidated prediction format (CPF). The resultant predicted ephemeris of GK-2B is directly compared with a pre-specified true orbit to show 17.461 m and 23.978 m, in 3D root-mean-square (RMS) position error and maximum position error for one day, respectively. The predicted ephemeris of Compass-G1 is overlapped with the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) final orbit from the GeoForschungsZentrum (GFZ) analysis center (AC) to yield 36.760 m in 3D RMS position differences. It is also compared with the CPF orbit from the International Laser Ranging Service (ILRS) to present 109.888 m in 3D RMS position differences. These results imply that SLR-based orbital ephemeris can be an alternative candidate for improving the accuracy of commonly used radar-based orbital ephemeris for GEO satellites.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Aeronautical & Space Sciences
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• v.44 no.12
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• pp.1103-1111
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• 2016

Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI) has been operating SLR (Satellite Laser Ranging) system with 2kHz repetition rate for satellite precise orbit and spin determination as well as space geodesy. But the SLR system was improved to be capable of laser ranging with high repetition rate, up to 10kHz by developing new operation software and novel range gate generator, called HSLR-10. The HSLR-10 will contribute to the accurate spin rate determination of geodetic satellites and geodetic research due to its largest repetition rate in the world. In this study, the development methodology and configuration of operation software are addressed, and its validation results are also presented.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.209-219
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• 2015

The Accurate Ranging System for Geodetic Observation - Mobile (ARGO-M) was successfully developed as the first Korean mobile Satellite Laser Ranging (SLR) system in 2012, and has joined in the International Laser Ranging Service (ILRS) tracking network, DAEdeoK (DAEK) station. The DAEK SLR station was approved as a validated station in April 2014, through the ILRS station "data validation" process. The ARGO-M system is designed to enable 2 kHz laser ranging with millimeter-level precision for geodetic, remote sensing, navigation, and experimental satellites equipped with Laser Retro-reflector Arrays (LRAs). In this paper, we present the design and development of a next generation high-repetition-rate SLR system for ARGO-M. The laser ranging rate up to 10 kHz is becoming an important issue in the SLR community to improve ranging precision. To implement high-repetition-rate SLR system, the High-repetition-rate SLR operation system (HSLR-10) was designed and developed using ARGO-M Range Gate Generator (A-RGG), so as to enable laser ranging from 50 Hz to 10 kHz. HSLR-10 includes both hardware controlling software and data post-processing software. This paper shows the design and development of key technologies of high-repetition-rate SLR system. The developed system was tested successfully at DAEK station and then moved to Sejong station, a new Korean SLR station, on July 1, 2015. HSLR-10 will begin normal operations at Sejong station in the near future.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.97-103
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• 2019

An automated signal-acquisition method for the NASA's space geodesy satellite laser ranging (SGSLR) system is described as a selection of two system parameters with specified probabilities. These parameters are the correlation parameter: the minimum received pulse number for a signal-acquisition and the frame time: the minimum time for the correlation parameter. The probabilities specified are the signal-detection and false-acquisition probabilities to distinguish signals from background noise. The steps of parameter selection are finding the minimum set of values by fitting a curve and performing a graph-domain approximation. However, this selection method is inefficient, not only because of repetition of the entire process if any performance values change, such as the signal and noise count rate, but also because this method is dependent upon system specifications and environmental conditions. Moreover, computation is complicated and graph-domain approximation can introduce inaccuracy. In this study, a new method is proposed to select the parameters via a conditional equation derived from characteristics of the signal-detection and false-acquisition probabilities. The results show that this method yields better efficiency and robustness against changing performance values with simplicity and accuracy and can be easily applied to other satellite laser ranging (SLR) systems.

• Journal of Aerospace System Engineering
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.10-16
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• 2018

In 2018 and 2019, GEO-KOMPSAT-2A and GEO-KOMPSAT-2B will be launched in order to succeed the COMS mission. The two satellites will be collocated in $128.25{\pm}0.05$ degrees East. For precise ranging and orbit determination, the GEO-KOMPSAT-2B will be equipped with LRA (Laser Retroreflector Assembly) and SLR (Satellite Laser Ranging) systems will be utilized. This systems are located in Geochang. In this case, the laser beam emitted from the SLR station can cause problems in terms of safety of optical payloads and image quality. As a solution of this possibility, the laser ranging will be done during the night time when the shutters of the optical payloads remain closed. Still, the optical payload of the GEO-KOMPSAT-2A is not safe from the laser beam because its optical payload shall continue its mission for 24 hours a day. In order to handle this problem, the laser ranging shall be limited to time slots when the angular distance between two satellites observed from the Geochang SLR station is large enough. In this paper, through orbit simulations, the characteristics of variation of the angular distance between the two satellites is analyzed to figure out the time slots when laser ranging is allowed.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Aeronautical & Space Sciences
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• v.38 no.11
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• pp.1136-1143
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• 2010

One-way laser ranging technology is applied for the precise orbit determination of LRO, which is the first trial for supporting the missions of lunar or planetary spacecraft. In this paper, LRO payload and ground system are discussed for LRO laser ranging, and some errors effecting on time of flight and tracking mount accuracy are analyzed. Additionally several technologies are also analyzed to make laser pulses shot from ground stations to arrive in the LRO earth window. Measurement data of LRO laser ranging verified that these technologies could be implemented for one-way laser ranging of lunar spacecraft.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.253-261
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• 2018

Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI) has been developing the space optical and laser tracking (SOLT) system for space geodesy, space situational awareness, and Korean space missions. The SOLT system comprises satellite laser ranging (SLR), adaptive optics (AO), and debris laser tracking (DLT) systems, which share numerous subsystems, such as an optical telescope and tracking mount. It is designed to be capable of laser ranging up to geosynchronous Earth orbit satellites with a laser retro-reflector array, space objects imaging brighter than magnitude 10, and laser tracking low Earth orbit space debris of uncooperative targets. For the realization of multiple functions in a novel configuration, the SOLT system employs a switching mirror that is installed inside the telescope pedestal and feeds the beam path to each system. The SLR and AO systems have already been established at the Geochang station, whereas the DLT system is currently under development and the AO system is being prepared for testing. In this study, the design and development of the SOLT system are addressed and the SLR data quality is evaluated compared to the International Laser Ranging Service (ILRS) tracking stations in terms of single-shot ranging precision. The analysis results indicate that the SLR system has a good ranging performance, to a few millimeters precision. Therefore, it is expected that the SLR system will not only play an important role as a member of the ILRS tracking network, but also contribute to future Korean space missions.