In order to promote exchanges and interactions among various subdivisions of commercial aerospace, NiHaoSpace has launched an expert column. Invite industry leaders such as founders, technical leaders, and senior experts from each segment to write articles and share topics such as industry progress, technology paths, and market prospects.
The authors of this issue are Li Wanshan, Li Dong, and Zhang Limin of Xi’an Universal Satellite. They share with you: “Who will control 10,000 satellites?” The future development of measurement and operation control”.
01
Development status of measurement and operation control
In the aerospace system, satellite constellation measurement, operation and control management occupies a pivotal position. It is like the “brain” and “nerve center” of the satellite constellation, and is fully responsible for key tasks such as satellite orbit attitude control and adjustment, data reception and health status monitoring to ensure that the satellite constellation can operate stably and efficiently. It is no exaggeration to say that the level of measurement, operation and control management will directly determine the application efficiency and value of the satellite constellation.
With the vigorous development of commercial aerospace, many companies have actively deployed and continued to innovate in the field of satellite constellation measurement, operation and control management, and have achieved a series of impressive results. my country’s aerospace measurement and control is undergoing a critical transformation from “national mission-driven” to “commercial market expansion.” On the one hand, the national measurement and control system (such as the Beijing Aerospace Flight Control Center) still undertakes core tasks such as manned spaceflight and lunar exploration projects, and has profound technological accumulation; on the other hand, some leading commercial aerospace measurement and control companies have achieved breakthroughs – more than ten launch measurement and control missions have been completed in 2025, ensuring the smooth entry of dozens of satellites into orbit, accounting for 10% of my country’s new launchers It accounts for more than 75% of the number of commercial satellites, more than 200 satellites are under normal management, and the success rate remains above 99%. In terms of ground station construction, domestic commercial measurement and control companies have built more than 60 ground measurement and control station networks to support the measurement and control management needs of spacecraft of various orbit types. The localization rate of large-diameter equipment exceeds 90%, basically breaking the foreign technology monopoly. The successful practice of domestic commercial aerospace measurement and control enterprises not only demonstrates the strong strength of my country’s commercial aerospace in the field of satellite constellation measurement, operation and control management, but also lays a solid foundation for the future development of the industry. But at the same time, we should also be clearly aware that with the rapid development of satellite technology and the increasing application requirements, satellite constellation measurement, operation and control management is facing unprecedented challenges and opportunities, and its future development trends deserve our in-depth discussion and attention.
02
Two major promoters of measurement and operation control
1. Intelligentization: AI enables precise control. With the rapid development of artificial intelligence technology, its application in satellite constellation measurement and operation control management is becoming increasingly widespread and in-depth, becoming a key force in improving the efficiency and accuracy of measurement and operation control management. In terms of satellite data processing, artificial intelligence technologies such as machine learning and deep learning can intelligently fill in and correct missing and erroneous satellite data, thereby ensuring the integrity and correctness of satellite data and laying a solid foundation for subsequent data processing and analysis. In terms of intelligent fault diagnosis, machine learning and deep learning can also show their talents. Through in-depth mining and analysis of massive historical and real-time data from satellites, potential faults in satellite systems can be accurately identified to achieve early warning. Taking a certain satellite constellation as an example, after adopting a fault diagnosis model based on deep learning, the fault detection accuracy rate has been greatly improved to more than 95%, and the fault warning time has been advanced by hours or even days, buying valuable time for fault troubleshooting and repair, thus effectively reducing the losses and risks caused by satellite faults. Satellite mission planning is also inseparable from the assistance of artificial intelligence. The reinforcement learning algorithm can comprehensively consider multiple factors such as satellite orbit, energy status, task priority, and ground user needs, and quickly formulate the optimal task sequence and resource allocation plan. In a complex multi-satellite collaborative observation mission, the use of reinforcement learning algorithms for mission planning not only improved the efficiency of the observation mission by 20%, but also increased the satellite energy utilization rate by 15%, significantly improving mission execution and resource utilization efficiency. Not only that, artificial intelligence also plays an important role in satellite orbit attitude adjustment and control. Artificial intelligence is used to analyze satellite status and environmental information to achieve precise satellite control and ensure that satellites are always in optimal operation and working condition. 2. Autonomy: The road to “self-control” of satellites. As the capabilities of on-board computers continue to improve, autonomous management of constellations has a solid material foundation. In the past, key satellite operations relied heavily on ground commands. However, delays in satellite-to-ground information transmission and limited coverage of ground stations severely restricted satellite emergency response capabilities and mission execution flexibility. Nowadays, with the leap in performance of on-board computers, satellites have stronger data processing and analysis and decision-making capabilities, and can independently complete key tasks such as orbit maintenance, attitude adjustment, fault diagnosis and processing on the satellite. For example, when a satellite encounters the threat of space debris, the autonomous control system can quickly calculate the best avoidance strategy and execute it autonomously, eliminating the risk of collision in a timely manner, thus greatly improving the safety and reliability of the satellite. In deep space exploration missions, due to the long distance and serious signal transmission delays, satellite autonomous control capabilities are even more crucial. Autonomous control not only significantly reduces ground control pressure. It can also release a large amount of human resources to conduct research and exploration of new measurement and control technologies. At the same time, with the improvement of satellite performance, most payload data can be processed autonomously in orbit, and only the data processing results and key information are transmitted down through the ground station, thereby effectively alleviating bottleneck problems such as satellite-ground delay and limited ground station network coverage. Through the satellite autonomous management model, it can effectively promote the expansion of space missions into deeper and more complex areas.
03
Upgrade of the role of test and operation control
In the early days of satellite constellation measurement, operation and control management, the service model mainly focused on the platform and payload, that is, around the satellite platform and the various payloads it carried. In this mode, the measurement, operation and control management work is mainly to ensure the stable operation of the satellite platform and the normal operation of various load equipment, such as communication satellites forwarding signals normally, remote sensing satellites acquiring images as planned, etc. This model played an important role in a period when the number of satellites was small and the application scenarios were relatively single. It could focus on finely controlling satellite platforms and payloads to meet specific mission requirements. However, with the vigorous development of commercial aerospace, the scale of satellite constellations continues to expand, and the application scenarios become increasingly rich and diverse. Satellites are no longer limited to traditional communications, navigation and remote sensing fields, but are also widely used in the Internet of Things, meteorological monitoring, ocean observation, disaster warning and other fields, providing services for different industries and users. Against this background, the measurement, operation and control management service model with platform load as the core has gradually exposed its limitations, making it difficult to meet diverse data needs and efficient service requirements. Under this situation, the measurement, operation and control management service model is gradually transforming to center on data services. This change means that the focus of measurement and operation control management has shifted from simply ensuring the operation of platform loads to managing the entire life cycle of data, including data collection, transmission, storage, processing, analysis, and distribution. By building a real-time and efficient data management system, we can achieve rapid processing and accurate analysis of massive data, and provide users with more targeted and timely data products and services. Taking a commercial remote sensing satellite constellation as an example, under the new service model, the measurement, operation and control management system can flexibly adjust satellite observation tasks and data collection strategies according to the different needs of users such as agricultural monitoring, urban planning, and resource exploration, and obtain high-resolution remote sensing data that meets specific needs. At the same time, advanced data processing and analysis technology is used to quickly process and deeply mine the collected data, providing users with specialized data products and services such as crop growth assessment, urban land change monitoring, and mineral resource distribution analysis, greatly improving the value of data application and service efficiency. The shift in service models to data services has also promoted the deep integration of satellite constellations with other industries. By combining with emerging technologies such as the Internet of Things, big data, and artificial intelligence, satellite constellations can provide more comprehensive and in-depth data support and services for smart cities, smart transportation, smart agriculture and other fields. For example, in the field of intelligent transportation, satellite constellations can obtain vehicle location, driving speed and other information in real time, provide traffic flow prediction, congestion warning and other services to traffic management departments, and help intelligent management of urban transportation.
04
The global measurement and control network is taking shape
1. Global station network layout: breaking geographical restrictions. In order to achieve full-time measurement and control coverage of satellite constellations, many commercial aerospace companies are actively engaged in the construction of global measurement and control station network layout and build global measurement and control capabilities. This global station network layout is like a dense network, allowing satellites to always be within the “field of view” of the ground measurement and control system no matter where they travel on the earth, thereby ensuring real-time acquisition of measurement and control data and timely transmission of control instructions. The global station network layout plays a key role in improving emergency response capabilities. When a satellite fails suddenly, the network of measurement and control stations all over the world can respond quickly, track, monitor and diagnose the satellite as soon as possible to eliminate the fault to the greatest extent, thereby effectively extending the working life of the satellite. 2. Cross-border and international cooperation: work together to open up new prospects. In the field of commercial aerospace, cross-border cooperation and international cooperation are becoming an unstoppable development trend. The cooperation between commercial aerospace enterprises and scientific research institutions is becoming increasingly close, forming a good situation of complementary advantages and collaborative innovation. Scientific research institutions rely on their profound scientific research strength and cutting-edge achievements to provide key technical support and innovative ideas for enterprises; enterprises promote the commercial application and industrial development of technology through the transformation of scientific research results. Scientific research institutions play an important role in theoretical research and key technological breakthroughs, while enterprises are responsible for the engineering realization of technology and product market promotion. The close cooperation between the two parties accelerates the research and development process of new satellite technology and enables it to be quickly applied in the commercial satellite field, effectively improving the market competitiveness of enterprises. Explore new directions for international cooperation. my country’s commercial aerospace companies are actively joining hands with international partners to jointly promote satellite constellation measurement, operation and control management projects. Through international cooperation, companies can not only integrate global resources and make full use of the advantages of each country in technology, talent, and market, but also learn from advanced international experience and technology during the cooperation process to promote the improvement of their own technological innovation and management levels. At the same time, international cooperation can also help to formulate unified international standards and promote the standardization and coordinated development of the global commercial aerospace market. Ensuring that satellite communication systems in different countries and regions can be interconnected lays the foundation for the healthy development of the global satellite communication market.
05
Challenges and opportunities of measurement and operation control
1. Challenges: “stumbling blocks” on the way forward As the scale of satellite constellations continues to expand, the number of satellites has shown explosive growth, which undoubtedly puts great pressure on measurement, operation and control management. Take the SpaceX Starlink project as an example. As of now, it has deployed more than 7,000 satellites. my country’s GW constellation, Qianfan constellation, etc. are also being promoted intensively, and the number of satellites will increase significantly in the future. Such a large number of satellites has made orbital frequency resources increasingly tight. How to achieve a reasonable layout and efficient operation of satellites under limited resource conditions has become an urgent problem to be solved. At the same time, different countries and companies adopt different technical standards and communication protocols during the construction of satellite constellations, which seriously hinders the interconnection between satellites and between satellites and ground systems. For example, there are differences between different countries and companies in the use of satellite communication frequency bands, which causes signal interference problems to occur from time to time, thereby reducing communication quality and efficiency. This inconsistent technical standard not only increases the complexity and cost of measurement, operation and control management, but also limits the coordinated development of global satellite constellation systems. The issue of space debris cannot be ignored either. According to statistics, there are currently about 100 million space debris in Earth orbit with a diameter greater than 1 millimeter, and hundreds of thousands of space debris greater than 1 centimeter in diameter. These space debris fly in space at extremely high speeds. Once they collide with satellites, they will cause serious damage to the satellites and even cause them to fail. For example, in 2009, the U.S. Iridium 33 satellite collided with Russia’s defunct Cosmos 2251 satellite in orbit, producing a large amount of debris and further exacerbating the deterioration of the space debris environment. The existence of space debris not only poses a serious threat to the safe operation of satellites, but also increases the difficulty and risk of measurement, operation and control management. It is necessary to establish a more complete space debris monitoring and early warning system, as well as effective obstacle avoidance strategies and collision response measures. 2. Opportunities: The “new dawn” behind the crisis Despite facing many challenges, these challenges have also brought unprecedented development opportunities for satellite constellation measurement, operation and control management. In order to solve the management problems caused by the surge in the number of satellites, the need for new technology research and development has become extremely urgent, which will effectively promote the in-depth application of cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence, big data, cloud computing, and quantum communications in the field of measurement, operation and control management. Through the integration and innovation of these new technologies, it is expected to achieve efficient processing and analysis of massive satellite data, improve the intelligent level and automation of measurement and operation control management, thereby reducing management costs and improving management efficiency and accuracy. As the commercial aerospace market continues to expand, the demand for satellite constellation measurement, operation and control management services continues to grow. This provides relevant companies with broad market development space, prompting them to increase investment in research and development, improve technology and service quality to meet the diverse needs of the market. At the same time, intensified market competition will also promote industry integration and optimization, promote cooperation and innovation among enterprises, and form a more complete industrial ecosystem. For example, some companies cooperate with scientific research institutions to jointly carry out key technology research and development and accelerate the transformation and application of technological achievements; some companies optimize the allocation of resources through mergers, acquisitions and reorganizations, and enhance the company’s overall strength and market competitiveness.
06
Conclusion: The future of measurement and operation control has arrived
The future development trend of satellite constellation measurement, operation and control management is like a magnificent and magnificent picture, which is slowly unfolding before our eyes. The deep integration of intelligent and autonomous technologies will enable satellite constellations to have sharper “perception”, stronger “thinking power” and more efficient “execution power”, and be able to operate more stably in complex and changeable space environments. The transformation of the service model to data business will further release the value of satellite constellation data, promote its deep integration with various industries, and inject new vitality into economic and social development. The global layout and cooperation continue to advance, and a global and interconnected measurement and control network will be built, allowing humans to work together in the journey of exploring the universe and jointly explore a broader space. Satellite constellation measurement and operation control is moving toward intelligence, autonomy, digitization and globalization. These trends will determine the future of commercial aerospace. The challenges are many, but the opportunities are even greater. For Chinese companies, now is the best time to lay out and break through. In the future, satellite constellation measurement, operation and control management will surely play an even more important role in the aerospace industry.
About the author
Li Wanshan, deputy general manager and senior engineer of Xi’an Huanyu Satellite Company, and deputy chairman of the Commercial Aerospace Committee of the Shaanxi Provincial Aerospace Association. Formerly working at the Xi’an Satellite Measurement and Control Center, he participated in the Shenzhou 6 to Shenzhou 10 manned spaceflight and space rendezvous and docking missions, the Chang’e 1 to Chang’e 5 satellites and the measurement and control missions of more than ten major national satellites; he was awarded the third-class personal merit in the Shenzhou 8 mission, and was awarded the title of Outstanding Contribution Individual by the State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense in the Chang’e 5 return mission. He has rich top-level design and software engineering experience in the field of satellite measurement and control.
Li Dong is the deputy director and senior engineer of the Satellite Long-term Management Center of Xi’an Oneworld Satellite Company.
Zhang Limin, deputy secretary of the party committee, director, general manager and senior engineer of Xi’an Huanyu Satellite Company.
