Adaptive Classification Fountain Codes for Reentry Communication

Radio blackout due to a plasma sheath during reentry has attracted much attention over several decades. However, radio blackout has long puzzled the aerospace industry and has not yet been completely resolved. A communication method based on adaptive classification fountain code is proposed to improve the transmission reliability of important information during a spacecraft's reentry. According to the deterioration of the plasma sheath channel, the classification parameters of the source information are adjusted to protect the most important information. This method allows the reliable transmission of the most important information. The deterioration of the communication quality of the plasma sheath channel is detected from the voltage standing wave ratio of the transmitting antenna in real time. The simulation results show that the transmission reliability of important information almost doubles when using the transmission method of adaptive classification fountain code. In contrast to the traditional communication method, the proposed method can be applied to TT&C (telemetry, tracking, and command) and communication of reentry vehicles and near-space hypersonic vehicles in the future, reducing the interruption time of communication blackout.