XXVI Academic Сonference on Astronautics

Section “Ballistic and navigation support; navigation and robotic systems of rocket and space vehicles”

L.N.Lysenko, V.S.Tupolev

Moscow N.E. Bauman State Technological University

2-nd Baumanskaya St., 5, 107005, Moscow, Russia

 

The paper sums up the work of a newly organized Section “Ballistic and navigation support, navigation and robotic systems of rocket and space vehicles” at the 26^th Academic Conference on Astronautics held in Moscow from January 30 to February 1, 2002.

The authors analyze the content and subject-matter of the presented reports and come to the conclusion that the reports are highly topical as developing one of the promising trends in space rocketry, namely the development and application of “intelligent” technologies and the corresponding algorithmic, software and hardware tools to the tasks of control of aerospace objects and orbital facilities and complexes.

 

The Academic Conference on Astronautics, otherwise called the Korolyov Conference, are dedicated to the memory of the Russian academician S.P.Korolyov and other celebrated Russian scientists who pioneered space exploration. The 26^th Conference held in Moscow from January 30 to February 1, 2002 included three new sections organized by the Moscow N.E.Bauman State Technological University.

The fact that three sections of the Korolyov Conference were held in the Bauman University should obviously be treated as recognition by the scientific community close to space rocketry of high reputation of the University scientific school in the relevant fields. Besides, this fact can be regarded as a kind of restoration of historical justice in the sense that the Conference dedicated to S.P.Korolev were held in his Alma Mater.

S.P.Korolev graduated from the Aeromechanical Department of the Moscow Higher Technical School (MHTS), which was the name of the University at the time, on the 9^th of February, 1930, and since then he had not once returned to his hearth and home. His name is closely connected with shaping the MHTS’s RT-2 Department, which is now called “Spacecrafts and Carrier rockets”, drawing up the first curriculum, writing and editing the first lecture course in space vehicles design, numerous meetings with students, post-graduates and lecturers of his Alma Mater.

Among the three newly organized sections of the Korolyov Conference a prominent place is held by the Section “Ballistic and navigation support, navigation and robotic systems of rocket and space vehicles”. The Section worked under the chairmanship of the heads of relevant departments of the Bauman University.

The purpose of this brief information report is to sum up some preliminary results of the Section’s activity at the Conference. We think it advisable because, on the one hand, the Section drew substantive attention and interest, which makes us hope for its success at future Conference, and on the other hand, there were a number of shortcomings we failed to escape. And though the first proverbial pancake was not at all a flop, we would like to think that the present analysis may help improve the organizational side of the Section’s activities in future.

There were 21 reports presented at the Section meeting, of the 23 registered in the program of the Conference. Among the 68 registered participants of the Section were lecturers, researchers, and post-graduates from the Bauman University, the S.P.Korolyov Rocket and Space Complex “Energy”, the Central Research Institute for Machine Building, the State Unitary Enterprise (SUE) N.A.Pilyugin Scientific and Production Center of Aviation Industry, the Academician V.I.Kuznetsov Research Institute for Applied Mechanics, the SUE Scientific and Production Association for Machine Building, the SUE “Scientific Center of Space Information Systems and Observation Technologies”, the Peter the Great Military Academy for Strategic Missile Armed Forces, the Military University of Antiaircraft Defense (located in Tver), the Research Institute for Special-purpose Machine Building, the Research Institute for Parachute Construction, the Scientific and Production Enterprise All-Russia Research Institute for Electronic Machine Building, the LLC “Mostransgas”.

The reports were made by leading scientists and specialists working in space rocketry, professors of higher educational institutions of the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Defense. Among the speakers were 13 Doctors of Science, 7 Candidates of Science, which by itself speaks of the level of the reports.

The reports covered a whole complex of relevant issues including: ballistic and navigation support of flight; space vehicles testing; development of navigation systems and their elemental base; automatic and automated control of aerospace objects and space robotic systems.

The topicality of the reports was beyond any doubt, as the issues discussed were practically oriented and the presented solutions were based on the latest achievements of science and modern information technologies.

Each report, to a different extent, reflected the most important trend in rocket and space technology and astronautics, namely the development and application of “intelligent” technologies and the corresponding algorithmic, software and hardware tools to the tasks of control of aerospace objects and orbital facilities and complexes. Organizationally, the Section was divided into two Sub-sections:

1.      “Navigation systems, and ballistic and navigation support of flight”.

Co-chairmen: Doctors of Science: Prof. L.N.Lysenko and Prof. S.F.Konovalov,

Academic Secretary: Candidate of Science V.S.Tupolev.

2.      “Control systems for space vehicles and complexes”.

Chairman: Doctor of Science Prof. K.A.Pupkov,

Academic Secretary: Candidate of Science A.V.Fomichyov.

The 1^st  Sub-section reports covered the following basic issues:

-            theoretical and application aspects of ballistic and navigation support of flight for space vehicles and orbital complexes;

-            organizational structure of space flight control systems and development of principles of space flight control;

-            synthesis of the ballistic structures of satellite communication systems and monitoring;

-            mathematical modelling of astroballistic situation and the influence of heliophysical factors on spacecrafts operation;

-            formalizing and solving generalized ill-defined problems of ballistic and navigation support of aerospace vehicles testing;

-            increasing the accuracy of inertial navigation systems;

-            interconnecting of navigation systems;

-            calibration and alignment of inertial navigation systems.

The following issues were discussed in the 2^nd Sub-section reports:

-            theoretical and practical aspects of designing intelligent control systems for aeroballistic objects;

-            development of terminal control algorithms and designing techniques for terminal autopilot to control non-atmospheric flight vehicles;

-            development of high-accuracy methods of integration for kinematic equations expressed in implicit quaternions, the methods offering high computation stability and intended, in the first place, for strapdown inertial navigation algorithms;

-            peculiarities in the use of genetic algorithms in the tasks of optimization of terminal control algorithms for highly maneuverable aircrafts.

Of greatest interest to the listeners were the following reports presented by:

-            V.A.Solovyov, Doctor of Science, Professor, USSR cosmonaut, who directed the flight of the Russian control module of the International Space Station (ISS). V.A.Solovyov being on a business trip, the report was delivered by the Head of a department of the Rocket and Space Complex “Energy”, Doctor of Science, Prof.M.Yu.Belayev. The report was accompanied by demonstration of video materials shot by the Russian-American team on board the ISS. In view of great interest to the report it was presented at the joint meeting of Section 13 and 14;

-            N.M.Ivanov, Doctor of Science, Professor, Deputy Head of the Center of Flight Operations of the Central Research Institute for Machine Building, who was in charge of ballistic and navigation support of the Space Station “Mir” landing. His report summed up the experience gained in this unique operation;

-            B.S.Skrebushevsky, Doctor of Science, Professor, Deputy General Designer of the Space Observation Center of “Rosaviacosmos”. Co-author: T.N.Melanina, Candidate of Science, leading research assistant. On the basis of the statistical data obtained the authors substantiated the causes of malfunction of special-purpose spacecraft equipment depending on the influence of non-stationary heliophysical disturbances;

-            V.V.Betanov, Doctor of Science, Professor, Head of a department of the Military Academy for Strategic Missile Armed Forces. Co-author: I.V.Lysenko, Doctor of Science, Head of the Laboratory. The authors offered new tasks and approaches for processing the information obtained in the course of space vehicles test flights;

-            I.N.Sapozhnikov, Doctor of Science, Deputy General Designer of the Academician V.I. Kuznetsov Research Institute for Applied Mechanics. In his report he made a review of the latest achievements in the development of sensors for  inertial navigation systems;

-            E.A.Mikrina and I.V.Dunayeva, employees of the S.P. Korolyov Rocket and Space Complex “Energy”. The report was devoted to the problems of information transmission and data processing for ISS. It gave a detailed consideration to the issues of mathematical software and hardware support of computer monitoring for carrying out the tasks of ISS control, navigation, ground-based and on-board information processing;

The content of the reports was in agreement with the scientific and technical subject of the Section. The results obtained and presented by the authors were scientifically innovative and practically important.

The founders of astronautics, while working on technological and design issues of aerospace vehicle construction, also gave a lot of consideration to navigation and control problems which actually and to full extent ensure the main function of aerospace vehicles. Therefore, all the speakers touched upon the continuity of scientific research, and in so doing they paid major attention to both theoretical and practical problems taking into account the latest achievements in the theory of control, information technologies and computer engineering.

Particular interpretation of the problems in question by pioneers of space exploration was presented by the Head of a department of the N.E.Bauman University, Doctor of Science, Prof. L.N.Lysenko in his opening address.

Speaking of shortcomings in the work of the Section, we should mention an excessive number of reports and a small number of scientists from remote regions of Russia. Basically the participants represented organizations located in Moscow and Moscow Region with the exception of Doctor of Science, Prof. G.V.Mozhayev, who came from Tver, and a few listeners from Kazan and Samara.

It is advisable that these shortcomings should be taken into account in the course of preparation for the 27^th Conference.

We believe that those who participated in the work of the Section this year will be eager to attend it again at the 27^th Conference, and we hope that the Section will attract new participants interested in the field of science and technology we are committed to.

We think it would be interesting and mutually beneficial if our foreign colleagues took part in the work of the Section. We are ready to do our part of effort to this effect.