Ricardo Delgadillo, Advanced Scientific Concepts LLC; Robert Stevenson-Karl, Advanced Scientific Concepts LLC; Roger Stettner, Advanced Scientific Concepts LLC; Lane Fuller, Advanced Scientific Concepts LLC; Bruce Anderson, Advanced Scientific Concepts LLC; Michael Dahlin, Advanced Scientific Concepts LLC
Keywords: Flash LiDAR, Resident Space Object, RSO, Space Domain Awareness, Rendezvous, Docking, Satellite, Servicing, Trajectory Estimation, Simulation, Point Cloud, Predictive Modeling
Abstract:
A key challenge in real-time space situational awareness is enabling a spacecraft to rendezvous and dock with free tumbling uncooperative resident space objects (RSO). Critical to this mission is the accurate determination of the RSO’s position, orientation, and velocity relative to the spacecraft. Conventional docking systems may rely on sensor suites composed of visible/IR imaging and/or scanning LiDAR which are susceptible to motion blur and are ineffective when used with free tumbling RSOs.
This work addresses the challenge of determining the dynamics of an uncooperative RSO exhibiting rapid rotational motion. The primary sensor selected is Advanced Scientific Concepts’ (ASC) Global Shutter Flash LiDAR (GSFL), a Technology Readiness Level 9 (TRL-9) solid-state Flash LiDAR system that captures an entire frame of intrinsically organized 3D point cloud data with a single very short, approximately 10ns laser pulse. The GSFL enables an edge-computing or embedded system to compute real-time tracking of fast-moving RSOs without having to contend with motion blur, thus improving the pose estimation accuracy. The data output of the GSFL can be supported with real-time predictive modeling of RSO dynamics and feature extraction. Furthermore, the GSFL offers several operational advantages over visible/IR imaging and/or conventional scanning LiDAR, including little or no risk of mechanical failure, and operation in the Earth’s shadow and deep space where conventional cameras fail. The GSFL is radiation tolerant and can collect range data even when the Sun is in the view of the sensor. Furthermore, the GSFL’s size, weight, and power (SWaP) efficiency surpasses that of scanning LiDAR with comparable resolution.
This work investigates real-time RSO dynamics determination algorithms leveraging the GSFL’s high-resolution range-finding capabilities. Feasibility analysis is conducted using ASC’s Flash LiDAR Digital Twin Simulator, adapted for RSO applications. The simulator provides radiometrically accurate intensity simulation via a Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function (BRDF), allowing for precise parameterization to closely match live data. Additionally, the simulator incorporates accurate range noise models on a per-pixel basis, and achieves photorealistic rendering results.
For many docking scenarios, the geometric CAD model of the uncooperative target is assumed to be known, or can be derived from the GSFL 3D images. Pose determination is conducted during the mid-range rendezvous phase, with accurate orientation determination at distances up to 150 meters and relative positioning accurate up to 500 meters. The algorithms in this paper apply both tracking and pose determination approaches. Results demonstrate that the GSFL, with its high-resolution and high-frame-rate data, is a suitable sensor for obtaining high-quality dynamic measurements of uncooperative RSOs, contributing to the advancement of autonomous space operations and satellite servicing.
Date of Conference: September 16-19, 2025
Track: Satellite Characterization