Daniel Lubey (University of Colorado)
Keywords: Orbit Determination, Maneuver Detection, Maneuver Reconstruction, Optimal Control, SSA, Astrodynamics
Abstract:
The vast and growing population of objects in Earth orbit (active and defunct spacecraft, orbital debris, etc.) offers many unique challenges when it comes to tracking these objects and associating the resulting observations. Complicating these challenges are the inaccurate natural dynamical models of these objects, the active maneuvers of spacecraft that deviate them from their ballistic trajectories, and the fact that spacecraft are tracked and operated by separate agencies. Maneuver detection and reconstruction algorithms can help with each of these issues by estimating mismodeled and unmodeled dynamics through indirect observation of spacecraft. It also helps to verify the associations made by an object correlation algorithm or aid in making those associations, which is essential when tracking objects in orbit.
Date of Conference: September 10-13, 2013
Track: Poster