JPH11331085A - Angle correction device for optical communication equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To realize angle correction with high precision so as to contribute to high precision directivity control of the optical communication equipment. SOLUTION: A device mount base 12 on which the optical communication equipment 14 is mounted is provided to a device mount platform 11 interposing vibration attenuation mechanism 13. A star sensor 16 for sensing an angle is mounted to the device mount base 12. The star sensor 16 senses a tilt angle of the device mount base 12 and applies drive control to a vibration attenuation mechanism 13 based on tilt angle information so as to correct a tilt angle of the device mount base 12.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an optical communication system used for performing optical communication using space propagation between space vehicles such as satellites, space stations, space shuttles, and the like. The present invention relates to an angle correction device used to correct the angle of the optical communication device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As is well known, an optical communication system employs an optical fiber system in which communication stations are connected by an optical fiber cable, and the optical fiber cable is used as a transmission line to perform optical communication between the communication stations. Have been. In such an optical communication system, it is possible to dramatically increase the communication capacity as compared with conventional RF communication.

[0003] In the field of recent space development, diversification of communication such as inter-satellite communication has been attempted, and an increase in communication capacity has been demanded. Therefore, in the field of space development, there is a plan to build an optical communication system between spacecraft to increase the communication capacity.

[0004] As such an optical communication system, a method of performing optical communication by transmitting communication light to a communication partner station using space propagation without laying an optical fiber cable has been considered and studied. I have. In such an optical communication system, light that has propagated in space is transmitted and received using an optical antenna and guided to an optical signal processing system. At this time, the pointing of the optical antenna is controlled with high accuracy in the communication direction.

In the above-mentioned optical communication system, an optical communication device 1 having a structure as shown in FIG. 4 is disposed on an equipment tower 3 provided in a spacecraft 2, for example, and is directed to a communication partner station. Optical communication using space propagation is performed. As a method of mounting such an optical communication device on the device mounting platform 3, a method of mounting the optical communication device via the vibration damping unit 4 and the device mounting base 5 is considered.

However, the platform 3 provided on the spacecraft 2 has a flexible structure similar to a space structure in the field of space development. In the case of application to 2, the vibration generated on the spacecraft side is transmitted to the equipment mounting platform side to vibrate the equipment mounting platform 3 and adversely affect high-precision optical communication by the optical communication equipment 1.

[0007] This problem is an important issue in the future space development in the case where a human being is stationed in outer space to construct an optical communication system in a space navigation vehicle 2 such as a space station for conducting research including various experiments. It has become one of.

[0008]

As described above, when an optical communication device is mounted on a spacecraft, there is a problem that high-precision pointing control becomes difficult due to vibration from the spacecraft. The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and provides an angle correction device for an optical communication device that achieves high-precision angle correction so as to contribute to highly accurate pointing control of the optical communication device. With the goal.

[0009]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides an attitude control unit for controlling the attitude of a spacecraft provided with an equipment mounting platform, a vibration damping mechanism provided on the equipment mounting platform, and a vibration damping mechanism. An optical communication device that is installed on a mechanism and performs optical communication using a spatial propagation of light with a communication partner station; an angle detection sensor that detects an angle error of the optical communication device with respect to the spacecraft; A vibration control means for controlling the drive of the vibration damping mechanism in response to the detection of the sensor, and correcting an angle error of the optical communication device with respect to the spacecraft, to constitute an angle correction device for the optical communication device. is there.

According to the above configuration, the angle detection sensor detects an angle error of the optical communication device installed on the device mounting platform with respect to the spacecraft, and the vibration control means drives the vibration damping mechanism based on the angle error. Control to correct the angle of the optical communication device with respect to the spacecraft. This allows
The residual vibration error of the device mounting platform added to the optical communication device is removed, and highly accurate pointing control of the optical communication device becomes possible.

[0011]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows an angle correcting device for an optical communication device according to an embodiment of the present invention. A spacecraft 10 is provided with, for example, a device mounting platform 11 having a flexible structure. An equipment mounting base 12 is provided on the equipment mounting platform 11 via a vibration damping mechanism 13. The equipment mounting base 12 is provided with an optical communication device 14 constituting an optical communication system and a pointing adjustment mechanism 15. Mounted via

The vibration damping mechanism 13 comprises, for example, three telescopic drive units 131 to 133 as shown in FIG.
The telescopic drive units 131 to 133 are arranged at a predetermined interval between the device mounting platform 11 and the device mounting base 12. Then, the three expansion / contraction drive units 131 to 133
Is selectively expanded and contracted to adjust the angle of the device mounting table 12 with respect to the device mounting platform 11, and correct the installation angle of the optical communication device 14 so as to correspond to the spacecraft 10. The expansion / contraction driving units 131 to 133 are configured by, for example, an electromagnetic mechanism.

The equipment mounting base 12 has two star sensors 1 for detecting angles around its three axes.
6 is mounted. The output end of the star sensor 16 includes:
As shown in FIG. 3, the angle control unit 17 is connected, detects a predetermined star, and outputs angle information to the angle control unit 17.

The angle control unit 17 generates a drive signal based on the angle information from the star sensor 16 and controls the drive of the telescopic drive units 131 to 133 of the vibration damping mechanism 13,
The angle around the three axes of the equipment mount 12 is controlled, and the installation angle of the optical communication equipment 14 is corrected so as to correspond to the spacecraft 10. In this case, by providing at least two star sensors 16, it is possible to detect angles around the three axes of the device mounting base 12.

The spacecraft 10 is provided with an attitude control unit 18 as shown in FIG. The attitude control unit 18 receives the attitude disturbance information of the spacecraft 10 via a detection sensor (not shown), and drives and controls an actuator (not shown) based on the attitude disturbance information to control the attitude of the spacecraft 10. .

In the above configuration, the attitude control unit 18 controls the actuator (not shown) based on the attitude disturbance information.
To control the attitude of the spacecraft 10. In the attitude control state of the spacecraft 10, there is a residual vibration error in the flexible-structured equipment mounting platform 11. Then, the star sensor 16 detects the inclination angles of the equipment mounting base 12 around the three axes with respect to the spacecraft 10 and detects the inclination angle of the angle control unit 1.
7 is output.

The angle control unit 17 drives the telescopic drive units 131 to 133 of the vibration damping mechanism 13 on the basis of the angle information to control the angle of the equipment mounting base 12, and the residual vibration error existing in the equipment mounting platform 11. Correct the minute. Here, the optical communication device 14 on the device mounting base 12 is removed from the vibration residual error existing in the device mounting platform 11, the installation angle error is corrected, and the pointing adjustment mechanism 15
, High-precision pointing adjustment becomes possible.

As described above, the angle correction device for an optical communication device is capable of mounting the device mounting base 12 on which the optical communication device 14 is installed,
A vibration damping mechanism 13 is interposed on the equipment mounting platform 11, and a star sensor 16 for angle detection is provided on the equipment mounting base 12, and the inclination angle of the equipment mounting base 12 is detected by the star sensor 16. The vibration damping mechanism 13 is driven and controlled based on the tilt angle information to correct the tilt angle of the device mounting base 12.

According to this, the device mounting platform 1
1 detects an angle error of the equipment mount 12 with respect to the spacecraft 10, and based on the angle error, the angle control unit 17 controls the drive of the vibration damping mechanism 13 to control the equipment mount 1.
2 corrects the angle with respect to the spacecraft 10, the residual vibration error of the equipment-mounted platform 11 is removed, and highly accurate pointing control of the optical communication device 14 by the pointing adjustment mechanism 15 is realized. Is done.

In the above embodiment, the device mounting base 1
Although the case where the star sensor 16 is used to detect the angle of 2 has been described, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the sun sensor and the acceleration sensor may be used, or the sun sensor, the star sensor, and the acceleration sensor may be used. It can be configured to be used in combination, or can be configured using other various detection sensors.

Further, in the above embodiment, the equipment mounting base 1
Although the description has been given of the case where the angle correction around the two axes is performed, the present invention is not limited to this, and is also applicable to the case where the angle correction around the two axes or around one axis is performed.
In this case, the arrangement of the angle detection sensor and the arrangement of the vibration damping mechanism are installed around the axis of the angle correction. Therefore, it is needless to say that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, but can be variously modified without departing from the gist of the present invention.

[0022]

As described above in detail, according to the present invention, an angle correcting device for an optical communication device which realizes highly accurate angle correction so as to contribute to highly accurate pointing control of the optical communication device. Can be provided.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an arrangement configuration of an angle correction device for an optical communication device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an arrangement configuration of a vibration damping mechanism of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a configuration of a control system of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a diagram shown to explain a conventional problem.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 ... Spacecraft. 11 ... Platform for mounting equipment. 12 ... Equipment mounting base. 13 A vibration damping mechanism. 131-133 telescopic drive unit. 14 Optical communication equipment. 15 Pointing adjustment mechanism. 16 ... Star sensor. 17 ... Angle control unit.

Claims (5)

[Claims] An attitude control unit for controlling the attitude of a spacecraft provided with an equipment-mounted platform, a vibration damping mechanism provided on the equipment-mounted platform, and a communication partner installed on the vibration damping mechanism, An optical communication device that performs optical communication by utilizing spatial propagation of light with a station; an angle detection sensor that detects an angle error of the optical communication device with respect to the spacecraft; and in response to the detection of the angle detection sensor, An angle correction device for an optical communication device, comprising: a vibration control unit that drives and controls a vibration damping mechanism and corrects an angle error of the optical communication device with respect to the spacecraft. 2. The angle correction device for an optical communication device according to claim 1, wherein the angle detection sensor detects an angle error around three axes of the optical communication device. 3. The angle correction device according to claim 1, wherein the angle detection sensor is formed by a star sensor. 4. The vibration damping mechanism according to claim 1, wherein at least three telescopic mechanisms that can be adjusted to expand and contract are disposed to control the angle of the optical communication device three-dimensionally. The angle correction device for an optical communication device according to the above. 5. The optical communication device according to claim 1, wherein the optical communication device is installed on the vibration damping mechanism via a device mount. Equipment angle correction device.