Digital twin method and application practice of spacecraft system driven by mechanism data

Abstract

Spacecrafts are large-scale systems characterized by various on-orbit configurations, multi-disciplinary coupling, and complex mission modes. Research and exploration on the data-driven spacecraft digital twins development methods must be carried out to satisfy various requirements such as spacecraft on-orbit condition monitoring and risk warning, fast flight conditions predictions, intelligent failure location, and virtual verification of failure. In this paper, significant progress is made in multiple key technologies, such as cyber-physical system modeling and simulation, hybrid modeling and model evolution through mechanism-data fusion, and interactive virtual-reality perception and mapping. The spacecraft digital twins’ model is constructed, and the spacecraft digital twin’s platform is designed and developed. Multiple digital twins’ application scenarios, such as on-orbit mission simulation and emulation, real-time interactive monitoring, and fast operating condition prediction, are supported. The research results are applied to the key on-orbit operation tasks, such as entering orbit, rendezvous and docking, position conversion, and astronaut exiting, enabling system-level digital operation for the sub-systems of spacecraft such as energy, power, control, and communication sub-systems.