Space Contact Planning for Predictive RF Interference Avoidance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional spacecraft systems lack the ability to autonomously plan and react to real-time Radio Frequency (RF) and Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) events, relying on pre-planned and outdated interference avoidance strategies.
Innovation Solution
A space contact planning system that utilizes existing space catalog data, visibility generation, and transmission parameters to predict and autonomously avoid RF/EMI events by scheduling avoidance windows and implementing avoidance measures, leveraging multi-core processing systems for efficient computation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional spacecraft systems use pre-planned interference avoidance strategies, then the system complexity is reduced and operations are simpler, but the ability to respond to real-time RF/EMI events is lost and reliability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary visibility generation and interferer identification by analyzing space catalog data and transmission parameters before actual communication events occur. This allows the spacecraft to pre-determine potential interference scenarios and prepare avoidance strategies in advance, reducing the complexity of real-time decision-making while maintaining high reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The contact planning system continuously monitors the space environment and updates its interferer database based on detected RF/EMI events. This feedback mechanism allows the system to learn from actual interference experiences and improve its prediction accuracy over time, enhancing reliability without requiring overly complex initial design.
2Adaptability or versatility
If spacecraft react only to pre-planned known events, then the ease of operation is maintained and no autonomous decision-making is required, but the adaptability to new or unexpected interferers is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The spacecraft system performs autonomous contact planning by self-analyzing space catalog data, generating visibility information, and independently determining avoidance strategies without requiring external mission control intervention. This self-service capability enables the spacecraft to adapt to new interferers autonomously while maintaining ease of operation through automated decision-making processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts transmission parameters such as frequency, power level, and timing based on real-time interference detection and prediction. By changing these parameters adaptively, the spacecraft can respond to new interferers effectively while the automated parameter adjustment maintains operational simplicity.
3Measurement precision
If conventional systems use past detection data for RFI planning, then the simplicity of the system is preserved, but the prediction accuracy for future interference events deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary visibility generation and interferer scoring by analyzing current space catalog data and transmission parameters before communication events occur. This preliminary analysis enables accurate prediction of future interference events by considering the current spatial and operational context, improving measurement precision without requiring overly complex real-time processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The data processing task is segmented into distinct modules: space catalog data retrieval, visibility generation, interferer scoring, and contact planning. This segmentation allows each module to process and analyze specific aspects of interference prediction independently, improving overall accuracy while managing computational complexity through modular architecture.
Data Source
AI summary
A contact planning system can include memory for storing orbit and transmission data for space and ground objects. The system can further include a processing system coupled to the memory. The processing system can determine which of the space and ground objects are within a field of view of a receive antenna based on geometric calculations, to generate a set of potential interferers. The processing system can further compare transmission parameters of the set of potential interferers with corresponding parameters for an intended emitter to determine which of the set of potential interferers are expected to generate at least a threshold interference level. The processing system can further prepare an avoidance plan for avoiding interference with potential interferers that are expected to exceed the threshold interference level. Other apparatuses and methods are also described.