All-Time Seamless Communication

Author: CislunarSpace

Website: https://cislunarspace.cn

Definition

All-Time Seamless Communication refers to an uninterrupted communication assurance mode in which cislunar spacecraft can establish and maintain communication links at any moment, achieving continuous, gap-free data transmission. "All-time" emphasizes uninterrupted availability across time, while "seamless" emphasizes the absence of gaps in the communication process.

Demand Background

As China continues cislunar exploration through the Chang'e lunar program, lunar research station construction, and crewed lunar missions, an increasing number of cislunar spacecraft will operate simultaneously in orbit. Multi-target all-time seamless communication becomes a critical requirement, especially when multiple crewed spacecraft are in orbit concurrently.

Key challenges facing current deep-space TT&C systems:

  • Foreign deep-space stations (e.g., Argentina's Zapala station) face long-term operational uncertainties
  • Deep-space station antennas have large apertures with slow tracking angular velocities, resulting in long target-switching intervals
  • When numerous spacecraft require simultaneous service, traditional TT&C networks struggle to provide full-time coverage

Implementation Approach

The cislunar communication architecture based on the BeiDou satellite system proposes the following approach:

  • Service communication: Short message links provide dynamic full-sky coverage and access for catalogued user spacecraft
  • Traffic communication: Laser-microwave hybrid inter-satellite links provide high-speed data transmission for user targets
  • Constellation collective advantage: Comprehensively leverage the cumulative effect of multiple satellites, antennas, and beams across the entire constellation

Combined with ground-based deep-space TT&C systems and the Tianlian relay satellite system, this approach can meet the all-time seamless communication needs of various cislunar user spacecraft.

References

  • Duan Z, Wang J, Fan Y. Research on the Development of Beidou Satellites Based on Full-Time Communication and Navigation in the Earth-Moon Space[J]. Journal of Telemetry, Tracking and Command, 2026.
  • Wang Z, Sun B, Liu Y, et al. International Lunar Research Station Communication Based on Satellite Double Relay[J]. Chinese Journal of Space Science, 2024, 44(3): 592-605.