High-Sensitivity, Large-Doppler-Range DSSS–GMSK Signal Acquisition Algorithm for Earth–Moon Space Satellite Communication
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: With the intensifying competition among countries in lunar and deep-space exploration, the forward communication bands between Earth and the Moon are becoming increasingly congested. Spread-spectrum communication is poised to replace conventional unified-carrier wave systems as the dominant telemetry and tracking technology. Compared with Phase-Shift Keying (PSK) modulation, Gaussian-Filtered Minimum-Shift Keying (GMSK) offers lower transmit sidelobes and higher spectral efficiency, making it a promising alternative to Quadrature Phase-Shift Keying (QPSK) as a communication scheme integrated with spread-spectrum systems. This paper compares the direct-sequence spread-spectrum Gaussian-Filtered Minimum-Shift Keying (DSSS-GMSK) modulation scheme with the widely adopted DSSS-BPSK scheme and demonstrates the advantages of DSSS-GMSK, including higher spectral efficiency and improved signal acquisition performance over a wide Doppler dynamic range. This paper also proposes a deep-space DSSS-GMSK signal acquisition algorithm capable of achieving signal acquisition at a carrier-to-noise density ratio (C/N0) of 34 dB-Hz over a Doppler range from -350 kHz to +350 kHz, demonstrating the feasibility and potential of DSSS-GMSK. The algorithm requires minimal computational hardware resources, and its feasibility has been verified through simulations. Furthermore, its resistance to false locking is analyzed and discussed.
Source: Sensors
DOI: 10.3390/s26165191
Authors: Yuanshen Lu, Min Wu, Wen Zhang, Yu Zhu, Qihao Xia, Jun Zhang
Language: English
Subfield: Aerospace Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,137
OpenAlex ID: W7203644890