On-Orbit Verification of RL-Based APC Calibrations for Micrometre Level Microwave Ranging System

Xiaoliang Wang, Xuan Liu, Yun Xiao, Yue Mao, Nan Wang, Wei Wang, Shufan Wu (), Xiaoyong Song, Dengfeng Wang, Xingwang Zhong, Zhu Zhu, Klaus Schilling and Christopher Damaren
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Xiaoliang Wang: School of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, East Dongchuan Rd. No. 800, Shanghai 200240, China
Xuan Liu: Institute of Space Radio Technology, Xi’an 710100, China
Yun Xiao: Xi’an Research Institute of Surveying and Mapping, Xi’an 710054, China
Yue Mao: Xi’an Research Institute of Surveying and Mapping, Xi’an 710054, China
Nan Wang: University of Michigan—Shanghai Jiao Tong University Joint Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
Wei Wang: School of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, East Dongchuan Rd. No. 800, Shanghai 200240, China
Shufan Wu: School of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, East Dongchuan Rd. No. 800, Shanghai 200240, China
Xiaoyong Song: Xi’an Research Institute of Surveying and Mapping, Xi’an 710054, China
Dengfeng Wang: Institute of Space Radio Technology, Xi’an 710100, China
Xingwang Zhong: Institute of Space Radio Technology, Xi’an 710100, China
Zhu Zhu: Shanghai Institute of Satellite Engineering, Shanghai 200240, China
Klaus Schilling: Informatics VII: Robotics and Telematics, Julius-Maximilians-University, 97070 Würzburg, Germany
Christopher Damaren: Institute for Aerospace Studies, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M1C 1A4, Canada

Mathematics, 2023, vol. 11, issue 4, 1-25

Abstract: Micrometre level ranging accuracy between satellites on-orbit relies on the high-precision calibration of the antenna phase center (APC), which is accomplished through properly designed calibration maneuvers batch estimation algorithms currently. However, the unmodeled perturbations of the space dynamic and sensor-induced uncertainty complicated the situation in reality; ranging accuracy especially deteriorated outside the antenna main-lobe when maneuvers performed. This paper proposes an on-orbit APC calibration method that uses a reinforcement learning (RL) process, aiming to provide the high accuracy ranging datum for onboard instruments with micrometre level. The RL process used here is an improved Temporal Difference advantage actor critic algorithm (TDAAC), which mainly focuses on two neural networks (NN) for critic and actor function. The output of the TDAAC algorithm will autonomously balance the APC calibration maneuvers amplitude and APC-observed sensitivity with an object of maximal APC estimation accuracy. The RL-based APC calibration method proposed here is fully tested in software and on-ground experiments, with an APC calibration accuracy of less than 2 mrad, and the on-orbit maneuver data from 11–12 April 2022, which achieved 1–1.5 mrad calibration accuracy after RL training. The proposed RL-based APC algorithm may extend to prove mass calibration scenes with actions feedback to attitude determination and control system (ADCS), showing flexibility of spacecraft payload applications in the future.

Keywords: reinforcement learning; antenna phase center calibration; K band ranging (KBR); micrometre level microwave ranging (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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