Jake Decoto, Orbital-ATK, Patrick Loerch, Orbital-ATK
Keywords: SSA
Abstract:
As the Geosynchronous satellite population increases so too does the importance of accurate catalog maintenance for purpose of conjunction assessment and spacecraft operator situational awareness, particularly for operators in closely spaced regions or in collocated GEO slots. This paper presents the design, results, and limitations of an algorithm developed to aid these efforts by characterizing maneuver histories of geosynchronous satellites using published satellite TLE histories. Central to the algorithm is use of basic signal processing techniques to enhance the ability to detect small orbit changes amongst the noise in the raw data. After filtering out any single point inconsistent outliers the algorithm processes each orbit state with a temporal lead trail window of surrounding orbit states being propagated over a range of common epochs with key metrics being recorded. Potential maneuver events are then declared at any epoch where the comparison metrics between orbit states exceed several checks. Maneuver events are characterized as In-Plane or Out-of-Plane events, referring to the direction of the imparted change in velocity relative to the orbital plane of the satellite. Also characterized is the operational tempo of maneuvers including whether electric or chemical propulsion methods are being used. To illustrate this approach several examples from publicly available catalogs are processed with results provided.
Date of Conference: September 15-18, 2015
Track: Space Situational Awareness