Refinement of low Earth orbit satellites' parameters using the Ukrainian-Chinese network of Doppler stations
Heading:
| 1Shulga, OV, 2Mao, Yindun., 1Kaliuzhnyi, MP, 1Bushuev, FI, 1Kulichenko, MO, 1Maigurova, NG, 2Tang, ZhengHong., 2Pomazan, A, 2Zhu, Jie., 2Cao, Jianjun. 1Scientific-Research Institute «Mykolaiv Astronomical Observatory», Mykolaiv, Ukraine 2Shanghai Astronomical Observatory of the Chinese Academy of Science, Shanghai, China |
| Space Sci. & Technol. 2025, 31 ;(5):39-49 |
| https://doi.org/10.15407/knit2025.05.039 |
| Publication Language: English |
Abstract: This study was conducted as part of a scientific cooperation agreement between the Research Institute "Mykolaiv Astronomical Observatory" (RI "MAO," Ukraine) and the Shanghai Astronomical Observatory of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (SHAO, China). The collaboration aims to establish a network of Doppler stations to track low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites equipped with radio beacons. These stations determine the Doppler frequency shift of signals emitted in the 430–440 MHz range, providing valuable data for refining satellite orbital parameters. The Doppler stations were developed at RI "MAO" using a "DVB-T+DAB+FM" receiver and an eight-section antenna system. The stations are designed to operate in real-time, continuously receiving and processing signals from LEO satellites. A detailed description of the station components and the software framework supporting their operation is provided. The software enables real-time data acquisition, signal processing, and orbital parameter refinement.
To validate the network's functionality, a prototype consisting of two Doppler stations was tested through synchronous observations. These tests successfully demonstrated the feasibility of improving LEO orbital parameters using Doppler frequency measurements. The network comprises stations located in Mykolaiv (RI "MAO," Ukraine) and Sheshan (SHAO, China), enabling simultaneous tracking of satellite signals as they pass through the stations’ visibility zones. The networked stations feature omnidirectional antennas in the upper hemisphere, each composed of eight individual "Yagi" antenna sections with horizontal polarization. The signal reception process is automated, with the system dynamically selecting the appropriate antenna section based on pre-calculated azimuth and elevation angles derived from the NORAD orbital element catalog. This automation ensures precise tracking of LEO satellites and enhances the accuracy of Doppler shift measurements. As part of the experimental campaign, five successful identifications of the OSCAR-19 satellite were conducted using its NORAD catalog orbit. These observations yielded four refined sets of orbital elements. It is shown that refining the orbital elements using observations from sequential passes results in a decrease in both the systematic and random errors in the radial velocity differences. These results confirm the network's capability to provide high-accuracy tracking and orbital refinement for LEO satellites.
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| Keywords: Doppler station; Doppler frequency shift; Low Earth Orbit satellites; Orbital elements refinement; Real-time signal processing |
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https://doi.org/10.18524/1810-4215.2018.31.144550
4. Bushuev F.I., Kaliuzhnyi M.P., Kriuchkovskyi V.F., Kulichenko M.O., Shulga O.V., Bezrukovs V., Malynovskyi Y.E., Reznichenko O.M., Bryukhovetsky O.B., Tuccari G. Observations of GEO and LEO satellites: radio engineering means of the Mykolaiv Astronomical Observatory. Space Science and Technology, 28(2), 48-53 (2022) [in Ukrainian].
https://doi.org/10.15407/knit2022.02.048
5. Danchik R.J. The Navy Navigation Satellite System (Transit). Johns Hopkins APL Technical Digest 5(4), 323-329 (1984).
https://secwww.jhuapl.edu/techdigest/content/techdigest/pdf/V05-N04/05-0...
6. Hoots, F.R., Roehrich, R.L. Models for propagation of NORAD element sets. United States Department of Defense. Spacetrack Report 3 (1988).
https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/pdfs/ADA093554.pdf
7. Jerome S. The DORIS network: Advances achieved in the last fifteen years. Advances in Space Research 72, 3-22 (2023).
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asr.2022.07.016
8. Kryuchkovskiy V., Bushuev F., Kaliuzhnyi M., Khalaley M., Kulichenko M., Shulga O. First results of clarifying orbital elements of low-orbit spacecraft using observations of the RI "MAO" Doppler station. Odessa Astron. Publ. 32, 162-164, (2019).
https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/link_gateway/2019OAP....32..162K/doi:10.18...
https://doi.org/10.18524/1810-4215.2019.32.181906
9. Lefebvre A., Cazenave P., Escudier R., Biancale J.F., Cretaux J., Soudarin L., Valette J.J. Space tracking system improves accuracy of geodetic measurements. Eos, Transactions American Geophysical Union 77(4), 25-32 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1029/95EO00019
10. Michal Th., Eglizeaud J.P., Bouchard J., 2005. GRAVES: The new French system for space surveillance. In: 4th European Conference on Space Debris, April 18-20, 2005, Darmstadt, Germany. Published by ESA (2005). https://conference.sdo.esoc.esa.int/proceedings/sdc4/paper/122/SDC4-pape...
11. Muller F. GRAVES Space Surveillance System: Life Extension and Upgrade Program. 7th European Conference on Space Debris, held in Darmstadt, from 17-21 April, 2017 (2017). Online at https://conference.sdo.esoc.esa.int/proceedings/packages, id.29
12. Reznichenko A.M., Yamnitsky V.A., Zyubin V.I., Mishura I.I. The ways of supporting catalogues for Near-Earth artificial objects from observation by optical means In: Extension and Connection of Reference Frames Using Ground Based CCD Technique//International astronomical conference. - Nikolaev: Atoll.- 2001. - 372p., ill. (2001) [in Russian].
https://mao.mk.ua/articles/nao180/2001_nao180_Papers.pdf
13. Saunier, J. The DORIS network: Advances achieved in the last fifteen years. Advances in Space Research, 72, 3-22 (2023).
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asr.2022.07.016