- Nationality: Spanish
PhD Thesis
Line of Sight Stabilization for Advance Satellite Pointing and Tracking Systems
Supervisors
Andrés Marcos Esteban (UC3M)
Abstract
Recent advancements in the capabilities of imaging systems and optical communications in satellites impose new requirements on avionics for new platforms. One of these requirements is to have pointing, acquisition, and tracking systems with greater stability and performance. Fine pointing requirements can be met with more complex AOCS systems, but these may not be justified due to cost and space constraints. While advanced hardware like magnetic bearings can reduce disturbances from reaction wheels, AOCS bandwidth limitations hinder compensation for disturbances from other subsystems. Alternatively, dedicated subsystems can improve pointing and reduce perturbations. Solutions include passive systems and active vibration control to minimize internal disturbances, with strategies targeting disturbance sources, structural paths, or payload interfaces. These can be combined with active pointing systems like gimbals and fast steering mirrors to meet stringent requirements, despite space and cost limitations.These systems must ensure proper performance in environments with disturbances of varied origin and nature, and their inclusion must be justified based on economic and practical feasibility criteria (especially in CubeSats). Given that this trend in requirements is expected to increase in the coming decades for astronomical missions, Earth observation, and optical-laser communications, this thesis will address the analysis and improvement of current proposed solutions to date in terms of hardware selection, system architecture, and advanced control algorithms for line-of-sight (Los) stabilization.
PhD in Aerospace Engineering UC3M 