Casey Heidrich, University of Colorado Boulder; Marcus Holzinger, University of Colorado Boulder
https://doi.org/10.64861/SYYM7516
Keywords: Spacecraft custody, reachability, dynamical systems, maneuver estimation
Abstract:
Detecting and tracking objects with ground- and space-based sensors is a foundational capability for effective Space Situational Awareness (SSA). Historically, initial tracks are used to produce an estimate of a spacecraft state and its associated uncertainty. This information can be used to predict future states, in turn informing sensor searches for follow-on observations or re-acquisition of lost objects. However, the problem of predicting future spacecraft states becomes difficult when unknown maneuvers occur between observations. Reachability methods can provide insight into predicted motion with admissible controls, but these metrics are computationally intractable for large-scale catalog maintenance.
In this work, a reachable-set over-approximation method is developed for efficiently computing sensor revisit times for follow-on tasking. A novel extension is developed to provide tighter reachable-set approximations, reducing the overall effective search area. Example results are demonstrated for relevant cislunar observing applications.
Date of Conference: September 15-18, 2026
Track: Astrodynamics