Daniel P. Lubey, The Aerospace Corporation, Hemanshu Patel, The Aerospace Corporation
Keywords: Initial Orbit Determination, Polynomial Chaos
Abstract:
Initial Orbit Determination (IOD) is a critical capability in the field of Space Situational Awareness (SSA); however, IOD methods are not always reliable. Under certain conditions, angles-only IOD algorithms can either fail to produce a solution or produce a solution too inaccurate to use with subsequent estimation methods. This paper develops a new optical IOD algorithm that removes constraints and assumptions from the common optical IOD processes in an attempt to create a more robust framework for IOD. The algorithm uses a polynomial chaos expansion to minimize a Maximum Likelihood cost function (assuming Gaussian errors on the measurements). This new method does not assume any measurements are perfect; rather, it uses all available measurements (including non-angle measurements), and it does not require Keplerian dynamics. Sample applications of this algorithm are provided to demonstrate its capabilities when tracking orbiting targets in various scenarios.
Date of Conference: September 19-22, 2017
Track: Astrodynamics