Uncued Low SNR Detection with Likelihood from Image Multi Bernoulli Filter

Timothy Murphy, Georgia Institute of Technology, Dr. Marcus Holzinger, Georgia Institute of Technology

Keywords: SSA, SDA, FISST, Uncued, Detection, Likelihood

Abstract:

Both SSA and SDA necessitate uncued, partially informed detection and orbit determination efforts for small space objects which often produce only low strength electro-optical signatures. General frame to frame detection and tracking of objects includes methods such as moving target indicator, multiple hypothesis testing, direct track-before-detect methods, and random finite set based multiobject tracking. This paper will apply the multi-Bernoilli filter to low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), uncued detection of space objects for space domain awareness applications. The primary novel innovation in this paper is a detailed analysis of the existing state-of-the-art likelihood functions and a likelihood function, based on a binary hypothesis, previously proposed by the authors. The algorithm is tested on electro-optical imagery obtained from a variety of sensors at Georgia Tech, including the GT-SORT 0.5m Raven-class telescope, and a twenty degree field of view high frame rate CMOS sensor. In particular, a data set of an extended pass of the Hitomi Astro-H satellite approximately 3 days after loss of communication and potential break up is examined.

Date of Conference: September 20-23, 2016

Track: SSA Algorithms

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