Multi-Fidelity Uncertainty Propagation to Track Maneuvering Spacecraft
Abstract
Maneuvering spacecraft create difficulties in space object tracking and characterization, which is critical to identifying contentious behavior and risks. To maintain safety of operations and \ac{SSA}, we must understand how to infer maneuver capabilities for many targets via a minimal set of data. For the case of low-thrust propulsion systems, maneuvers prove difficult to detect when compared to their impulsive counterparts. Previous research focuses on trackers that maintain custody at the cost of estimating a maneuver (e.g., interacting multiple model filters) or assume perfect data association. The goal of this project is to improve robustness and maintain custody of maneuvering spacecraft in the context of both single- and multiple-target tracking. In space object tracking, the computation cost of the prediction step and the number of predictions is the primary driver of tractability. This work leverages a multi-fidelity propagation of the predicted state probability density function to enable tractable maneuver identification and estimation when considering multiple maneuver hypotheses. Specific objectives of this project focused on enhancing the multi-fidelity uncertainty propagation technique for orbit determination and extending that approach to space object tracking.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Aug 21, 2023
- Accession Number
- AD1216464
Entities
People
- Brandon A. Jones
Organizations
- University of Texas at Austin