Satellite is very simple. Control system for satellite communication system and telemetric tracking and control communication system Get control of the satellite
The launch window is the period of time when it is easiest to place the satellite in the required orbit for it to begin performing its functions.For example, a very important factor is choosing a launch window where you can easily bring the astronauts back if something goes wrong. The astronauts must be able to reach a safe landing point, which will also have adequate personnel (no one wants to land in the taiga or the Pacific Ocean). For other types of launches, including interplanetary exploration, the launch window should allow for the selection of the most effective course reaching very distant objects. If there is bad weather during the estimated launch window or some technical problems occur, then the launch should be moved to another favorable launch window. If a satellite is launched, even in good weather, but during an unfavorable launch window, it can quickly end its life either in the wrong orbit or in the Pacific Ocean. In any case, it will not be able to perform the required functions. Time is our everything!
What's inside a typical satellite?
Satellites are different and have different purposes. For example:- Weather satellites help weather forecasters predict the weather or simply see what is happening in this moment. Here are typical weather satellites: EUMETSAT (Meteosat), USA (GOES), Japan (MTSAT), China (Fengyun-2), Russia (GOMS) and India (KALPANA). Such satellites typically contain cameras that send pictures of the weather back to Earth. Typically, such satellites are located either in geostationary orbit or in polar orbits.
- Communications satellites allow telephone calls and information connections to be transmitted through themselves. Typical communications satellites are Telstar and Intelsat. The most important part of a communications satellite is the transponder - a special radio transmitter that receives data at one frequency, amplifies it and transmits it back to Earth at another frequency. A satellite typically contains hundreds or even thousands of transponders on board. Communications satellites are most often geosynchronous.
- Broadcast satellites transmit a television (or radio) signal from one point to another (just like communications satellites).
- Research satellites perform various scientific functions. The most famous is perhaps the Hubble Space Telescope, but there are many others in orbit that observe everything from sunspots to gamma rays.
- Navigation satellites help the navigation of ships and aircraft. The most famous navigation satellites are GPS and our domestic GLONASS.
- Rescue satellites respond to distress signals.
- Earth exploration satellites are used to study changes on the planet from temperature to predicting the melting of polar ice. The most famous of them are the LANDSAT series satellites.
- Military satellites are used for military purposes and their purpose is usually classified. With the advent of military satellites, it became possible to conduct reconnaissance directly from space. In addition, military satellites can be used for transmitting encrypted messages, nuclear monitoring, studying enemy movements, early warning of missile launches, listening to terrestrial communications, plotting radar maps, photography (including the use of special telescopes to obtain very detailed pictures of the area) .
- All of them have a metal or composite frame and body. The satellite body contains everything necessary for functioning in orbit, including survival.
- All satellites have an energy source (usually solar panels) and batteries for energy reserves. A set of solar panels provide electricity to recharge the batteries. Some new satellites also contain fuel cells. Power supply on most satellites is a very valuable and limited resource. Some space probes use nuclear energy. The satellites' power grid is constantly monitored, and the collected data from energy monitoring and monitoring of other systems is sent back to Earth in the form of telemetry signals.
- All satellites contain an on-board computer to control and monitor various systems.
- They all have a radio transmitter and antenna. At the very minimum, all satellites have a transceiver with which the ground control team can query the satellite for information and monitor its status. Many satellites can be controlled from Earth to perform various tasks, from changing orbits to reflashing the on-board computer.
- All of them contain a position control system. Such a system is designed to keep the satellite oriented in the correct direction.
What types of satellite orbits are there?
There are three main types of orbit, and they depend on the position of the satellite relative to the Earth's surface:- Geostationary orbit(also called geosynchronous or simply synchronous) is an orbit in which the satellite always moves over the same point on the Earth’s surface. Most geostationary satellites are above the equator at an altitude of about 36,000 km, which is about a tenth of the distance to the Moon. The “satellite parking lot” over the equator becomes overloaded with several hundred television, weather and communications satellites! This congestion means that each satellite must be precisely controlled to prevent its signal from interfering with those of neighboring satellites. Television, communications and weather satellites all require geostationary orbit. Therefore, all satellite dishes on the surface of the Earth always look in one direction, in our case (northern hemisphere) to the south.
- Space launches typically use a lower orbit, which results in them passing over different points at different times. The average altitude of an asynchronous orbit is approximately 644 kilometers.
- In a polar orbit, the satellite is usually at low altitude and passes the planet's poles with each revolution. The polar orbit remains unchanged in space as the Earth rotates in orbit. As a result, most of the Earth passes under the satellite in a polar orbit. Because polar orbit provides the greatest coverage of the Earth's surface, it is often used for mapping satellites (such as Google Maps).
To calculate the orbit of satellites, special computer software is used. These programs use Kepler data to calculate the orbit and when the satellite will be overhead. Keplerian data is available on the Internet and to amateur radio satellites.
Satellites use a series of light-sensitive sensors to determine their own location. After this, the satellite transmits the received position to the ground control station.
Satellite altitudes
Manhattan Island, image from GoogleMaps
When viewed from Earth, satellites fly at different altitudes. It's best to think of satellite altitudes in terms of "how close" or "how far" they are from us. If we consider roughly, from the closest to the most distant, we get the following types:
From 100 to 2000 kilometers - Asynchronous orbits
Observation satellites are typically located at altitudes between 480 and 970 kilometers, and are used for tasks such as photography. Landsat 7 type observation satellites perform the following tasks:
- Mapping
- Monitoring the movement of ice and sand
- Determining the location of climate situations (such as the disappearance of tropical forests)
- Locating Minerals
- Searching for crop problems in the fields
Spacecraft (such as the shuttle) are controlled satellites, typically with limited flight time and a range of orbits. Human space launches are typically used to repair existing satellites or to build a space station.
From 4,800 to 9,700 kilometers - Asynchronous orbits
Scientific satellites are sometimes located at altitudes between 4,800 and 9,700 kilometers. They send the scientific data they receive to Earth using radio-telemetry signals. Scientific satellites are used for:
- Study of plants and animals
- Exploring the Earth, such as observing volcanoes
- Wildlife Tracking
- Astronomical research, including infrared astronomical satellites
- Physics research, such as NASA microgravity research or solar physics research
For navigation, the US defense department and the Russian government have created navigation systems, GPS and GLONASS, respectively. Navigation satellites use altitudes ranging from 9,700 to 19,300 kilometers and are used to determine the exact location of the receiver. The receiver can be located:
- On a ship at sea
- In another spacecraft
- In airplane
- In the car
- In your pocket
Interesting facts about GPS:
- American troops used more than 9,000 GPS receivers during Operation Desert Storm.
- The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) used GPS to measure the exact height of the Washington Monument.
Weather forecasts usually show us images from satellites, which are usually in geostationary orbit at an altitude of 35,764 kilometers above the equator. You can obtain some of these images directly using special receivers and computer software. Many countries use weather satellites to predict weather and monitor storms.
Data, television signals, images and some telephone calls are accurately received and relayed by communications satellites. Typical phone calls can have 550 to 650 milliseconds of round-trip latency, resulting in user frustration. The delay occurs because the signal must travel up to the satellite and then return to Earth. Therefore, due to this delay, many users prefer to use satellite communication only if there are no other options. However, VOIP (voice over Internet) technologies now face similar problems, only in their case they arise due to digital compression and restrictions bandwidth, rather than because of distance.
Communication satellites are very important relay stations in space. Satellite dishes are getting smaller because satellite transmitters are becoming more powerful and directional. These satellites transmit:
- Agency news feeds
- Stock, business and other financial information
- International radio stations are switching from (or supplementing) shortwave with satellite broadcasting using a microwave uplink signal
- Global television such as CNN and BBC
- Digital radio
How much do satellites cost?
Satellite launches are not always successful. Remember the failure of the launch of three GLONASS satellites or, for example, FOBOS-GRUNT. In fact, satellites are quite expensive. The cost of those fallen GLONASS satellites was several billion rubles.Another important factor in the cost of satellites is the launch cost. The cost of launching a satellite into orbit can vary between 1.5 and 13 billion rubles. The launch of American shuttles can reach up to 16 billion rubles (half a billion dollars). Building a satellite, launching it into orbit and then operating it is a very expensive proposition!
To be continued…
The National Academy of Sciences organized an excursion to the heart of the Belarusian space system for remote sensing of the Earth - the flight control center of the Belarusian satellite. We learned why Belarus needs its own satellite, who controls it and how, and what role the huge 9-meter antenna on the NAS building on Surganova plays.
BelKA, BKA, BKA-2
They didn’t think about the name of the satellite for a long time - just “Belarusian Space Apparatus”, or BKA. We named the very first satellite BelKA, but, unfortunately, its launch was unsuccessful, said Vladimir Yushkevich, head of the BKA flight control center of the scientific and engineering unitary enterprise " Geographic information systems" NAS of Belarus. Let us recall that the first attempt to place a Belarusian spacecraft into orbit - on July 26, 2006 - ended in failure. Then, 86 seconds after launch, the engine of the Dnepr launch vehicle failed.Scientific and Engineering Republican Unitary Enterprise "Geoinformation Systems" is the national operator of the Belarusian space system for remote sensing of the Earth. The main activities of the enterprise are the provision and thematic processing of Earth remote sensing data received from the Belarusian spacecraft, the development of applied geographic information systems, the development of technologies and software for managing space systems and for thematic and special processing of aerospace data, the creation of Earth remote sensing systems.
The BKA was launched on July 22, 2012. It was created on the basis of the Russian spacecraft "Canopus-V" - this, one might say, is the brother of our BKA, but with a different character. Here, as in life, no two people are alike.
The satellite carries Belarusian equipment, which takes pictures from space with a resolution of 2 meters. In addition to the photography system, the UAV is equipped with solar panels, a number of sensors, receiving and transmitting antennas, magnetometers and correction engines. In addition, the device is covered on almost all sides with thermal insulation material to protect the equipment from exposure to sunlight.
Examples of photographs taken by BKA
Brazil, Uruguay River 
Italy, Livorno 
China, Tibet 
Russia, Saratov region 
USA, Crescent Dunes solar power plant
By the way, the issue of creating a second satellite is currently being actively studied. If approval is received from the country's leadership, the new spacecraft will be launched within the next three years. Most likely, it will replace the BKA - the estimated service life of the satellite is 5 years. The new satellite will be able to take images with a resolution of less than a meter (the BKA has 2 meters).
Who controls the satellite and how?
UE "Geographic Information Systems" is the national operator of the Belarusian space system for remote sensing of the earth. The system consists of two main segments. The space segment is a satellite that flies at an altitude of 510 km, the ground segment is an infrastructure that consists of a control complex and a complex for receiving/processing captured information, explained Vasily Sivukha, head of the operation center of the BKSDZ "Geoinformation Systems".
The control complex includes a flight control center. The large TV in the flight control area shows the trajectory of the Belarusian spacecraft and all the main indicators - altitude, exact coordinates, current time and time until the communication session. A communication session is possible only within the reach of the equipment in Pleshchenitsy. The satellite communicates 2-3 times during the day and the same number at night.
In the operating room of the flight control center there are comfortable working conditions - large monitors, comfortable leather chairs. The satellite is monitored by a duty shift of three people. They monitor the telemetry of the UAV and lay down the survey program. On duty 24 hours a day.
The station through which the device is controlled is located in Pleschenitsy - this is a 5-meter antenna through which flight missions are loaded onto the satellite and data on the state of all satellite systems is received.
In Minsk, at Surganova 6, there is an information reception and processing complex, on the roof of the building there is a 9-meter receiving antenna. It simply receives information from the satellite and does not emit anything - you don’t have to worry about your health. The processed information is placed in an archive and transmitted to the consumer who ordered it.
In general, the Belarusian space system for remote sensing of the earth is a joint project with Russia, created within the framework of the Union State. For example, the ground control complex was built by Roscosmos enterprises.
The center can receive data not only from the BKA, but also from the Russian "Canopus-V" - a cooperation agreement has been concluded with the Russians, which allows the exchange of data received from satellites. That is why our scientists call the BKA and “Canopus-V” a group and include the Russian apparatus in the Belarusian space system for remote sensing of the earth.
The joint use of two satellites (flying along a similar trajectory, but spaced apart in time) allows, if necessary, to reduce the survey time - to create a map of a large area, several flights of spacecraft are required. If you need to adjust the orbit of the BKA, then the orbit of the Russian satellite changes synchronously.
Both satellites of the group - Belarusian and Russian - were launched by the same launch vehicle. The BKA was the first to separate from the upper stage, Kanopus-V was the second. Then the devices were placed into sun-synchronous orbits at an altitude of 519 km from the Earth. If the Belarusian satellite is now flying over North America, it means that the Russian one is located somewhere in the eastern part of Africa.
A Belarusian satellite has just flown over North America
In addition, Minsk can receive information from foreign weather satellites Noaa and Terra; this data is freely available. Moreover, their information is used not only to create a weather forecast, but also to detect fires, predict crop yields and solve a number of other problems.
All information received from the satellite constellation enters the thematic processing complex, where it is processed, cataloged and placed in the database of satellite images. At any time, you can take any picture from there, process it to the desired look and give it to the consumer.
The Belarusian space system also includes a planning and management complex. It is designed for planning space surveys. It generates an array of tasks, which are then loaded into the spacecraft. And then the satellite begins to complete the task. Planning takes place taking into account the weather forecast - customers are not interested in photographing clouds. By the way, the consumer can himself indicate how many clouds over the territory suit him.
Why was the Belarusian satellite needed?
The system was put into operation in December 2013, and since then contracts have already been concluded with 21 organizations from 11 departments. As part of these agreements, we have already transferred to them information in the equivalent of 5.5 million dollars (based on prices on the world market). This is essentially import substitution - what they could purchase from foreign companies is transferred to them by the Geographic Information Systems Unitary Enterprise, said Vladimir Yushkevich.
From the sale of images, from the provision of services to various Belarusian and foreign enterprises based on the technical solutions that were developed during the creation of the Belarusian space system, we received more than 25 million dollars, while the cost of creating the satellite was 16 million. So our satellite has already more than paid for itself.
The buyer can order both new shooting and archival footage. Low-resolution photographs of the territories that have already been taken are on the website, the consumer selects the territory of interest and makes an order. He can receive the requested information via the Internet (a separate folder is allocated on the FTP server), on a flash drive or disk.
For government organizations, government bodies, as well as organizations implementing budget projects, filming is free of charge. The rest will have to pay. The cost of surveying is comparable to that offered by foreign companies - approximately $1.4 per square kilometer. The final amount depends, among other things, on the scale of the shooting and the urgency of the order.
Someone may have a question: why do we need these pictures if they are already in the public domain, for example, google maps. “Experience shows that only information obtained from one’s own sources can be considered reliable,” said Vladimir Yushkevich. "Google images often do not correspond to reality. We take a photo of the same area, posted by Google, compare it with ours and see significant differences. It is no secret that Google maps are often built on images 3-4 years ago, but we have the maximum information up-to-date and, moreover, clearly linked to three coordinates, which allows you to create electronic maps.”
The main customers of images from the Belarusian satellite are the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Belarus, the Ministry of Forestry, the Ministry of Natural Resources, the Ministry of Agriculture, the State Property Committee of the Republic of Belarus and the Ministry of Defense. Creation of topographic maps, land reclamation, detection of fire zones, floods, illegal logging – there are many areas of application for the Belarusian satellite.
Companions are a unique feature of Juggernaut., which has no analogues in other browser games. These are companions that players can call upon during battle, gaining an undeniable advantage over the enemy.
The satellite menu opens when you click on the satellite icon, which is located to the right of the top game bar:
All satellites available to the player are also displayed there. Every the player can simultaneously summon up to five companions. Any of them if desired can be renamed.
The first satellite will be militant Amazon Level 15 named Ariana. In the future, new satellites of various levels and strengths will appear. Their abilities will also differ, as will the cost of being called into battle. The cost of calling a companion depends on the difference in levels between the player and the companion. At equal levels, the cost of summoning an Amazon is 25 gold. If the companion is much lower than the player in level, the cost of calling him decreases, if the companion is higher than the player, it increases.
Taking part in battles against monsters, companion gains experience, in battles against players - experience and heroism, the quantity of which depends on the damage caused by the companion. One of key features satellites is that the player can take credit for their heroism and experience. Using the sliders, you can configure how much experience or heroism the companion will receive for his actions and how much of it will go to the player.
By using special artifacts Can increase general amount of experience and heroism received by the satellite.
Besides artifacts companion can wear jewelry(two earrings, two rings, an amulet) and special armor available when the companion reaches levels 18, 23, 28, 33, 38 and 43.
With each level, the companion receives a certain amount distribution points, which can be invested in development one way or another satellite characteristics. Each characteristic has its own cost to increase. To increase Strength by one point, you need to spend 4 distribution points, a unit of Vitality requires 5 points, and class characteristics require 6 points.
This way everyone can make your companion a suitable companion. The player will be able to redistribute characteristics at any time by clicking on the “Reset” button. There is a charge for each stat reset.
Companions also have a rank system. The system for achieving ranks is similar to the same system for players: when a certain amount of heroism is accumulated, the companion receives a certain rank. Each rank gives the companion access to new abilities that strengthen him. Titles available for satellite regardless his level. So, a level 15 Amazon can have the highest possible rank.
After reaching a certain rank and the ability associated with it, the companion will have a certain probability of using this ability in battle. The higher the rank- the more significant the benefit comes from the companion’s ability. At high ranks, the companion will be able to cast strengthening spells on party members and heal them.
To summon a companion necessary for battle click on appropriate button located above the phantom calling panel. In this case, the companion will enter the battle, and at the end of the battle, the total cost of summoning all companions involved in this battle will be charged to the player.
Each satellite has energy. This energy is spent when calling a companion into battle. If there is not enough energy to call, then you will have to pay in gold to call a companion. The amount of energy or the cost of the call can be seen by hovering the mouse over the companion icon. Keep in mind that in PVP battles and instances, companions can only be summoned for gold, but companions cannot be used in battlefields.
More and more new companions will appear in Juggernaut, each of which will have its own story, individual character and unique abilities. Hurry to replenish your personal army with beautiful warriors, which will help you win new victories!
Perhaps one of the most beautiful sights from an altitude of 500 kilometers (and this is the distance at which most satellites fly to photograph the earth’s surface) is the sunrise. First, a vague orange haze appears, which becomes brighter every second, until it finally begins to resemble an exotic flower with a yellow center. Then it is replaced by a white circle, which the Korean poet Park Chiwon once aptly dubbed the “cart wheel,” and finally the Sun rises. It is possible to see the whole process in detail thanks to the startup “Oikumena” - the development of employees of the National Academy of Sciences Denis Volontsevich and Vitaly Vyaltsev.
Draw a sunset
Behind the beautiful ancient Greek name, which translates as “inhabited earth,” lies computer program, which super-realistically reproduces how a satellite, rocket or space probe can move within the Solar System. As if in a computer game, users are invited to select a spacecraft and travel with it in orbit.
The main feature is that everything looks as authentic as possible: the computer simulator is based on an accurate model of the Solar System, where all the planets and satellites move according to the laws of celestial mechanics. To achieve 100% realism, Denis Volontsevich and Vitaly Vyaltsev wrote the program and worked on the graphics for more than five years. Most of the images are real footage taken by spacecraft, Vitaly conducts a tour of the program:
– I took the “pictures” of the stars from Tycho’s catalogue. I drew some of the atmospheric effects myself, for example, the glow of the atmosphere - this thin blue belt around the planet. But the sunrise and sunset, satellite models are the work of Denis.
Users who have tested Oikumena sometimes wonder: why is there no sound in the program? In fact, it’s not difficult to add it, but it’s not necessary, because space is absolute silence.
Joystick for an astronaut
Simply flying over the planet would be boring, so Denis and Vitaly made it so that the virtual spacecraft could be controlled. In their program, the satellite can accelerate and slow down, move to another orbit and turn the right way. It is driven by two joysticks. One (regular gaming) was bought in a store, the other Denis Volontsevich assembled himself:
– These six-position joysticks are unique; they are used in American shuttles and Russian Soyuz. It took two months to assemble: I ordered some of the “filling” abroad, bought some in construction stores. Please note: the joystick switches from one position to another is very difficult. This is how it should be, because initially he intendedfor astronauts who work in gloves and a spacesuit.
Swung at the moon
Taking this opportunity, I ask you to let me “steer” the satellite. I grab the joysticks and... immediately lose sight of the spacecraft.
- Be careful, please. Space is big, then we won’t find it,– Vitaly jokes.
The satellite is controlled in nine directions at once: the left joystick controls six of them and the right joystick controls three more. The brain begins to boil: it’s like driving in a car with two steering wheels, five pedals and two gearboxes.
Having flown over Africa with a satellite, I give up and hand over the reins to the developers.
Now, while the International Space Congress is underway, the guys hope to show their product to experienced astronauts so that they can evaluate how the computer image corresponds to the real view from space.
The unique program can be used as an interactive attraction in science museums. And if we improve and add models of manned spacecraft, “Ecumene” has every chance of becoming a simulator for training future cosmonauts, scientists argue:
- There are many plans. For example, we want users to be able to move not only around the Earth, but also around our natural satellite. If everything works out, we’ll fly to the moon in a year!
