Leon L. Lala Jr., The Aerospace Corporation; Marshall Thompson, United States Air Force; Alexander Knoedler, United States Air Force; Nate Crawford, The Boeing Company; Todd Brost, Numerica Corporation
Keywords: Range, SCN, Numerica, UDL
Abstract:
Alternate Ranging Strategy for Space Delta Operations
Proposed Presentation for the 2022 Advanced Maui Optical and Space Surveillance (AMOS) Conference
Abstract:
The Aerospace Corporation and the 4th Space Operations Squadron (4 SOPS), Schriever SFB, CO are analyzing the feasibility of utilizing commercial satellite state vectors for Wideband Global SATCOM (WGS) orbit determinations, orbit planning and constellation management. Aerospace identified a capability within existing orbit analysis software that allows commercial orbital state vectors to be ingested, enabling operators to bypass traditional active track data collection using the Satellite Control Network (SCN), thereby reducing the dependence on that network. In conjunction with Numerica, 4 SOPS now has access to WGS constellation state vectors collected from a commercial worldwide telescope network of visible staring arrays fixed at the equatorial plane. Access to the Numerica state vectors within the Unified Data Library (UDL) provides orbit analysts with the data necessary to accurately analyze the orbital solutions. To date, analysis has shown that Numerica’s optical array collections and algorithm processing solutions are generally within 400 meters of SCN orbit determinations. This solution set fits within the traditional WGS orbit accuracy covariances for planning.
This paper outlines the accuracy of the orbital state vectors compared to SCN tracking data generated state vectors, the process for accomplishing orbit planning with these commercially-provided vectors, and the final orbital solutions of the commercial state vectors for use in orbit management. This new approach provides a more resilient CONOPs for spacecraft tracking while significantly reducing the operator workload for orbit planning, track collection, post-track analysis and orbit analysis software convergence on a final spacecraft state.
This material does not contain controlled technical data as defined by the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) your material does not discuss USG military and intelligence programs including their capabilities, vulnerabilities and countermeasures, or specific applications to them. The material meets the definition of fundamental research and therefore meets the criteria for public releasability under ITAR §120.11 and EAR §772, §734.3(b)(3), §734.7, §734.8
Date of Conference: September 27-20, 2022
Track: SSA/SDA