John Gaebler, KBR; Keric Hill, KBR; Charles J. Wetterer, KBR
Keywords: Cislunar, IOD, MPC, Track Initiation, UCT association
Abstract:
A study is presented that characterizes the capabilities of operational software to initiate tracks for cislunar space objects. KBR is working toward standing up an end-to-end cislunar cataloging capability. One of the first steps in tracking a cislunar satellite is to find and establish a trajectory with an initial orbit determination (IOD) tool. KBR developed the Two Angle Pairs Initial Orbit with Conjunction Analysis (TAPIOCA) tool to perform IOD. For this effort TAPIOCA has been upgraded to find initial states of cislunar objects from optical tracks (RA/Dec) produced by Electro-Optical ground-based sensors. Simulated data of multiple cislunar objects in various orbits are processed with the Space Catalog Observation Processing Engine (SCOPE). Care is taken to simulate a realistic scenario considering noise, scheduling, detection restrictions, etc., while including closely spaced targets and maneuvering targets. Results of establishing trajectories in a data rich environment are presented to illustrate a best-case scenario. Finally, simulation parameters are varied to stress the tool and provide insights into the capabilities and limitations.
Date of Conference: September 19-22, 2023
Track: Cislunar SDA