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The micro‐satellite clusters have been discussed for several years, however, there is not a common framework about its software, and various researches distributed at different domains. In order to conduct the future work well, the purpose of this paper is to systematically describe micro‐satellite clusters' characteristics, clusters software model, and present a distributed testbed to shorten test process, and minimize the development cost.

The cluster characteristics and model is summarized through analyzing the past satellite cluster programs. Then the ground test system is designed to shorten micro‐satellite's development period, improve its reliability.

The clusters' characteristics are discussed, such as coverage, scalability, fault tolerance, low cost, etc. The clusters' data flow and on‐board software architecture are presented according to properties of clusters. Finally, the distributed testbed that focuses on future on‐board software and hardware technologies that aim to rapid design, build, integration, test, deployment, and operation of the future micro‐satellite is designed.

The presentation of software architecture of cluster member can improve the micro‐satellite's development, and the distributed testbed can improve the ground test efficiency, especially, when the micro‐satellite quantity is big.

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the safety of formation flying satellites, and propose a method for practical collision monitoring and collision avoidance manoeuvre.

A general formation description method based on relative orbital elements is proposed, and a collision probability calculation model is established. The formula for the minimum relative distance in the crosstrack plane is derived, and the influence of J2 perturbation on formation safety is analyzed. Subsequently, the optimal collision avoidance manoeuvre problem is solved using the framework of linear programming algorithms.

The relative orbital elements are illustrative of formation description and are easy to use for perturbation analysis. The relative initial phase angle between the in‐plane and cross‐track plane motions has considerable effect on the formation safety. Simulations confirm the flexibility and effectiveness of the linear programming‐based collision avoidance manoeuvre method.

The proposed collision probability method can be applied in collision monitoring for the proximity operations of spacecraft. The presented minimum distance calculation formula in the cross‐track plane can be used in safe configuration design. Additionally, the linear programming method is suitable for formation control, in which the initial and terminal states are provided.

The relative orbital elements are used to calculate collision probability and analyze formation safety. The linear programming algorithms are extended for collision avoidance, an approach that is simple, effective, and more suitable for on‐board implementation.

Satellite networking will be an important component of future ubiquitous communications systems. Satellite networks will be especially useful to interconnect remote sensor networks. Therefore, satellite networks should provide the needed QoS, differentiation of services and at the same time keep the required scalability. The purpose of this paper is to propose a new Diffserv‐based scheme of bandwidth allocation during congestion, called proportional allocation of bandwidth (PAB).

The paper suggests a method for implementing PAB without storing per‐flow state, which makes the scheme scalable and simple and shows, by simulation, the advantages of using PAB in IP satellite networks.

The paper finds that PAB can be used in geostationary earth orbit, MEO and low earth orbit satellite networks. In PAB, during congestion all flows get a share of IP available bandwidth, which is in proportion to their subscribed information rate.

The simulations described in this paper show that the performance of PAB scheme is good on congested satellite networks.

To compare the conventional reaction wheel and battery systems with the combined energy and attitude control system. The system mass, volume and power requirements are revealed corresponding to the small satellite missions.

All the relevant system parametric equations are established. The system mass, volume and power are estimated accordingly for the conventional and the combined systems. Then, both systems are compared with respect to the typical small satellite missions.

The combined system outperforms the conventional system in most small satellite missions. However, there are some small satellite missions where the conventional systems are better in terms of the mass and volume budgets.

This research work is exclusively for small satellites in the LEO orbits.

A reasonable information for sizing the combined energy and attitude control system is established. The system mass, volume and power budgets can be extracted from this research work.

The results provide an instant answer regarding the feasibility of the combined energy and attitude control system for small satellites.

I shall divide my paper into three parts:

The purpose of this paper is to propose an identification algorithm to obtain generalized attitude model (GAM) of satellites in on‐orbit environment, which includes missing attitude data and multi‐noise. The identified GAM and noise model are the basis of attitude control and state estimation on‐orbit.

To cope with noises contaminating both input and output of attitude model, the errors‐in‐variables model is transformed into a traditional Box‐Jenkins model according to the attitude control loop. The wavelet denoising (WD) technique is helpful to predict the missing output data using the identified GAM.

By the numerical simulation, it is verified that the proposal accompanied with WD has a faster prediction capability than that of the algorithm without WD. As a result, the proposed approach is suitable to attitude model identification of on‐orbit satellites.

This identification algorithm can deal with two kinds of on‐orbit conditions and has a fast parameter convergent rate. Therefore, it has a practical application value in on‐orbit environment.

The purpose of this paper is to describe the micro fluid flow analysis in a micro thruster of micro‐/nano‐ satellite propulsion system and to propose the algorithm for the fluid flow simulations with the open boundary based on moving boundary method.

The analysis is based on a finite volume moving boundary method. Underlying mathematical model is the system of Navier‐Stokes‐Fourier partial differential equation describing compressible gas model. Propellant under the study is pure nitrogen gas. First, the static geometry velocity vector field is calculated and the information of the velocity at the outflow boundary is obtained; then, with the moving boundary method the outlet boundary is evolved. Evolution of the boundary is stopped when the continuum model ceases to hold. The criteria of the continuum model failure are based on the local Knudsen number.

The validations of the flow with respect to the Knudsen number showed that the continuum model is valid in the nozzle interior part (from the pressure value to the nozzle throat). The exterior nozzle part (diverging side) showed immediate raising of the Knudsen number above the continuum threshold (0.01). For the overall accurate computations of thruster flow, the continuum model must be coupled with molecular model (i.e. Boltzmann BGK).

In this paper, the authors propose a method for the computation of an open boundary flow with the application of the moving boundary method.

This paper aims to study the encounter issues of the Tethered-Space Net Robot System (TSNRS) with non-target objects on orbit during the maneuver, including the collision issues with small space debris and the obstacle avoidance from large obstacles.

For the collision of TSNRS with small debris, the available collision model of the tethered net and its limitation is discussed, and the collision detection method is improved. Then the dynamic response of TSNRS is studied and a closed-loop controller is designed. For the obstacle avoidance, the variable enveloping circle of the TSNRS has coupled with the artificial potential field (APF) method. In addition, the APF is improved with a local trajectory correction method to avoid the overbending segment of the trajectory.

The collision model coupled with the improved collision detection method solves the detection failure and speeds up calculation efficiency by 12 times. Collisions of TSNRS with small debris make the local thread stretch and deforms finally making the net a mess. The boundary of the disturbance is obtained by a series of collision tests, and the designed controller not only achieved the tracking control of the TSNRS but also suppressed the disturbance of the net.

This paper fills the gap in the research on the collision of the tethered net with small debris and makes the collision model more general and efficient by improving the collision detection method. And the coupled obstacle avoidance method makes the process of obstacle avoidance safer and smoother.

The work in this paper provides a reference for the on-orbit application of TSNRS in the active space debris removal mission.

This paper examines how the changes currently taking place in terminology processing and documentation are related to the multilingual needs of translation, and also how progress in natural language processing in general, and terminology processing in particular, can contribute to the development of reliable, up‐to‐date terminology support tools for translators. The paper also describes some recent experiences in the automatic identification of terminological units from corpora. The paper concludes by identifying some specific areas in terminology software development which can benefit from the expertise of translators and other language professionals.

An index language usually incorporates various methods for improving recall and/or precision when searching. Recall devices tend to increase the size of retrieved document sets, while precision devices tend to reduce them. The most common recall and precision devices are described in general terms and their usage in several thesauri is examined. The thesauri looked at relate to databases available for searching in the ESA IRS online information system at one time or another and include the NASA Thesaurus; Thesaurus of Engineering and Scientific Terms; Thesaurus of Metallurgical Terms; Subject Headings used by the USAEC; Subject Headings for Engineering; INIS Thesaurus and the INSPEC Thesaurus. The extent to and the way in which the recall and precision devices are used in the ESA IRS online system for controlled and uncontrolled subject term searching are discussed.