RASEL – autonomous tracking and communication system for flying vehicles
RASEL – an autonomous tracking and data transmission system allows reliable, long-distance communication with a rocket or other flying vehicle.
The system consists of 2 subsystems:
The first subsystem based on a one-way transmission is used for tracking a vehicle and thus maximizing the range of communication. Two main components of this subsystem are a radio beacon onboard the vehicle and a four-antenna tracking station on the ground.
The second subsystem allows a bi-directional data exchange between the vehicle and the ground station. It consists of a radio transceiver on-board the vehicle, a directional communication antenna on the ground, and dedicated software for receiving, storing, and visualizing data.
Inertial Measuring Unit (IMU) and/or GPS module and then – together with the ground station software – becomes a tool for monitoring the state of the vehicle.
The ground station antennas system can be rotated vertically and horizontally, to allow for a half-sphere coverage of the system, i.e. to allow tracking within 360 degrees in a horizontal plane and 180 degrees in a vertical plane.
The entire system allows for continuous tracking of the vehicle parameters. The position of the vehicle is online displayed on the map in a dedicated control and communication application.
