SAST of Xidian University pays high attention to the construction of the laboratories. So far the school has finished constructing three laboratories based on the research platform, i.e., the Space Information Processing Lab, Space Physical Environment Lab, and Space Measurement Control Communication Technology Joint Lab. The school has also built two professional innovation laboratories, i.e., the Innovation Entrepreneurship Lab, as well as the Navigation and Guidance Open Lab. The five laboratories process over 100 sets of medium- to large-scale experimental instruments and devices. These assets are worthy of over ten million Yuan. The current experiment condition can well support the scientific research in the field of aerospace science, at the same time provide a good experimental equipment foundation for creative talent cultivation.

Space Measurement Control Communication Technology Joint Lab

The Space Measurement Control Communication Technology Joint Lab is a discovery and innovation lab co-constructed by Xidian University and Beijing Research Institute of Telemetry (704 Research Institute). The school aims at promoting and leading the development of the space measurement communication technologies. The long term goal is to gradually establish the key lab of the state and national defense.

The research area includes but is not limited to:

(1) The exploration of the new concepts in the space measurement, control and communication field.

(2) Technologies of the space measurement, control and communication.

(3) Technologies of space information security.

(4) Technologies of space target detection.

(5) Novel technologies of space navigation and guidance.

(6) Space electronics information system.

Space Information Processing Lab

The aerospace information science has recently becomes the hotspot for the researches of the space aeronautics. This research subject also embodies the national comprehensive strength. Targeting at exploring the frontier science, the space information processing lab has built up the fundamental research platform for the development of the research areas covering the space measurement, control and communication, smart antenna, detection, guidance and navigation, as well as the electromagnetic physics. Currently the lab maintains the state-of-the-art electronic measuring instruments, which are worthy of over 10 million RMB. Some high-end instruments are listed below:

1. 110 GHz four terminal vector network analyzer.

2. 50 GHz broader frequency spectrum and signal analyzing instrument.

3. 50 GHz/120 GSps ultra wideband four channel oscilloscope.

4. 20 GHz/50 GSps ultra wideband arbitrary signal generator.

5. 44 GHz vector signal source.

6. 110 GHz microwave power meter.

7. 0.001 mHz-15 mHz spectrum characteristic analyzer.

8. The clock frequency standard system based on Cesium atom.

9. pV/fA weak signal measurement system.

The Space Information Processing Lab will devote itself to the exploration and research of the cutting-edge problems in the near space information field. The lab targets at enhancing the development level of subjects such as space measurement, control and information systems. Within a short period of time, the lab will be constructed as an important research center of space information technologies, and be served as the basis for cultivating the top talents all over China. The long term goal is to provide professionals and experts in fields of measurement, control, communications, and detections backgrounded in the near and deep space environment.

Space Physical Environment Lab

The space science and space environment are two peers inextricably linked with each other. Currently, the space physical environment lab targets at conducting frontier research in fields of electronic systems, space electromagnetism, and near space aircraft, etc. The lab provides basic simulations for the physical environment. So far the lab can well simulate the following environments:

1. The high vacuum, and cold/heat radiation environment in the universe.

2. The physical environment with high-speed aircraft plasma sheath.

3. 10 m electromagnetism darkroom environment.

4. -130 Celsius deep/cold environment.

5. High/low temperature impact environment.

6. Launch vehicle vibration environment.

7. High-altitude atmosphere environment.

8. Condensate water environment.

The lab pays high attention to the resource sharing and is open to the whole university and the society. Currently the lab can successfully support the scientific research in many areas including: research, development and tests of devices used in space electronics information systems, the reliability of instruments and devices in space environment, features and detections of space targets, research, development and tests of new antenna, as well as the information transformation and technical identification for the near space aircraft with high-speed under the plasma sheath set.

Professional Innovation Laboratory

The professional innovation (embedded system) lab maintains the advanced experimental systems, which can be divided into 4 categories. These systems mainly include 48 sets of the innovation experimental systems and high performance testing platforms. The lab offers students heuristic experiments with features of creativity, innovation and systematicness. With the lab facilities, students can design creative experiments, conduct research and develop the advanced intelligent information processing and control systems. Specifically, the facilities provided by the lab are listed as follows:

(1) The intelligent navigation experimental platform for the embedded unmanned aerial vehicle Based on this platform, students can do experiments in intelligent control and navigation systems. Students would acquire relevant knowledge and technologies of aircraft control, vision navigation, three-dimensional reconstruction, and multi-agent corporation systems. This platform provides 12 sets of development kits and accessories for unmanned aerial vehicle.

(2) The construction of the experimental platform for the embedded intelligent robot This experiment system is consisted of many components including robot platform, many degrees of freedom arm, sensors, control devices and central processing unit. The system can well demonstrate operations of the traditional manipulator, and supports experiments in robot multi-sensor measurement, multi-information fusion, target recognition and intelligent fetching, etc. This platform provides 12 sets of development kits and accessories for the robot system.

(3) The teaching experimental platform for the general embedded systems This platform is consisted of high performance DSP, ARM, FPGA board cards, and supports examples of experiments in embedded system engineering, e.g., digital signal capturing and analyzing, optimal measurement and image compression, motor control, research and development based on IP, as well as the handheld terminal program design. This platform provides 20 sets of development kits and auxiliary accessories for the high performance DSP and other embedded systems.

(4) The testing experimental platform for the high performance embedded systems The tests of embedded systems generally consist of signal integrity test, impedance test, and environment test. This platform mainly focuses on solving complicated testing problems in embedded systems, and other hard problems in system design and analysis. This platform provides the signal source with high precision and the fine measuring instruments, in total 2 sets and 11 devices.

Navigation and Guidance Open Lab

The institution of Navigation and Control maintains 3 professional laboratories, i.e., Comprehensive Lab of Navigation Technology and Its Applications, Comprehensive Lab of Guidance, Tracking and Control, as well as Navigation and Guidance Innovation Open Lab. These labs are open to all students and faculty staffs of SAST, also to other students selecting the courses of navigation guidance and control.

Comprehensive Lab of Navigation Technology and Its Applications mainly conducts research and offers experiments in GNSS/BD signal and its reception, analysis and design of navigation algorithms, principle and design of software receiver, anti-multipath, high sensitivity, middle/high dynamic features, integrity of satellite navigation, as well as novel navigation technologies and new systems. This lab provides course experiments to undergraduate students. It is also served as a research platform for undergraduate and faculties to accomplish the scientific research in the navigation field.

Comprehensive Lab of Guidance, Tracking and Control is open to undergraduate and graduate students of SAST. The basic lab devices and instruments are currently under construction. The goal of the lab is to simulate the process of missile guidance and control. The experiments offered by the lab can be divided to two categories, i.e., experiments for system guidance principle, and experiments for system control principle. So far the first stage is to planning the construction of the experiment platform for the image guidance systems. All experiments based on this platform are based on the imaging guidance principle and the personal computer. The aim is to simulate the mobile objects, perform the automatic identification, acquisition and tracking of signals. The whole system is mainly consisted of the image guidance system, target simulation control system, two-axis turntable control system and frequency acquisition system. The working principle is to generate the image objects with all types of motion rules, and show these objects on the screen in real time. CCD camera can capture the object images. Then, the video capture system transmits the image information to the image guidance computer. The image guidance software performs the image processing based on the video information, and in turn identifies the objects. By applying the particular tracking algorithms, the system can acquire the object position in the field of view and forms the target gate. After that, the system would acquire the error signal that represents the deviation between the target object and the optical axis. This error signal would be transferred to angle position instructions which are sent to the two-axis turntable control system. The instructions would drive the movement of the turntable, and achieve the target tracking. As an open platform, The software of image guidance is allowed to modify the ATR algorithm and the check-up algorithm, which in turn enhances the reliability. Based on this platform, undergraduate and graduate students, as well as faculties are able to conduct research of aircraft guidance principles, and all relebant theories and algorithms.

Navigation and Guidance Innovation Open Lab mainly faces the development of the frontier technology of navigation, guidance and control. The lab publishes relevant experimental projects for the interested faculties and graduate students to apply. These projects can also be used as course projects for students selecting the relevant and advanced courses. The panel would give the final evaluation on the oral defense of the projects. The research highlights would be published or be directly applied to lab experiments. The long term goal is to cultivating the innovative consciousness and enhance the innovative ability.