Magnetometer-based detection and characterization of space objects is motivated and challenges are discussed. Observable constants of motion with and without charge screening are derived in detail. Batch filtering methods are proposed to estimate the observable space object states. A novel application of orbit and detection constraints is used to generate admissible region boundaries for unobse...

-This paper summarizes the Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 orbit determination activity extending from encounter minus 60 days to the Jupiter encounter, and includes quantitative results and conclusions derived from mission experience. The major topics covered include an identification and quantification of the major orbit determination error sources and a review of salient orbit determination results ...

Title of Thesis: APPLICATION OF X-RAY PULSAR NAVIGATION: A CHARACTERIZATION OF THE EARTH ORBIT TRADE SPACE Wayne Hong Yu, Master of Science, 2015 Thesis directed by: Dr. Liam Healy Department of Aerospace Engineering The potential for pulsars as a navigation source has been studied since their discovery in 1967. X-ray pulsar navigation (XNAV) is a celestial navigation system that uses the consi...

The AMSAT OSCAR-40 (AO-40) spacecraft occupies a highly elliptical orbit (HEO) to support amateur radio experiments. An interesting aspect of the mission is the attempted use of GPS for navigation and attitude determination in HEO. Previous experiences with GPS tracking in such orbits have demonstrated the ability to acquire GPS signals, but very little data were produced for navigation and orb...

The applicability of advanced numerical methods for the solution of the orbit determination problem is studied. The dynamics of the observed object is written as a system of integral equations. This system is solved numerically by representing the components of the force function as linear combinations of B-splines and by applying the multigrid technique. In an outer loop the orbit determinatio...

Gray codes have found many applications in engineering and mathematics. In this work we explain how to apply Gray codes to the determination of the control parameter and initial point of a chaotic orbit generated by the Mandelbrot map when the kneading sequence is known. Possible applications to the cryptanalysis of a certain type of cryptosystems based on Baptista’s algorithm are also discussed.

The precise orbit determination problem is to accurately determine the position and velocity vectors of an orbiting satellite. In this paper we review the general contents of the orbit determination process, with particular emphasis on Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites. The different orbit determination approaches and the different force models contained within are briefly discussed. The two mai...