Refinement and Validation of Radiation Pressure Models for High Area-To-Mass Ratio Space Objects for Improved Characterization, Tracking, and Orbit Prediction
Abstract
The proposed research aims to develop methods to improve detection, tracking, identification, and characterization (detect/track/ID/characterize) of Resident Space Objects (RSOs) in the GEO regime. This research will focus on a class of RSOs known as High Area-To-Mass Ratio (HAMR) objects. Current state of the art in detecting,tracking, identifying, and characterizing HAMR objects is limited due to the dynamic mismodelling of non-gravitational forces acting on these objects. The proposed research shall aim to enhance the physical models that govern the behavior of HAMR objects, specifically the acceleration due to solar and Earth albedo, solar and Earth radiation, and possibly electrostatic charging effects (Lorentz force). Refined models will then be used to estimate features such as mass, shape, and albedo-area of HAMR objects, in an aim to characterize them with higher confidence levels. To validate the refined physical models and characteristics of HAMR objects, and show improvements in tracking and prediction accuracies, novel filtering techniques shall be employed to estimate the long-term dynamics and trajectories of these objects. Inessence, every trajectory can be interpreted as a signal encoded with information of all perturbing effects. The goal of model validation will be to extract the relevant perturbations from the trajectory signal and do so in a way that can be used to improve trajectory predictions. To augment the validation, we will assess how well we can predict the flux reflected from the object as compared to measured fluxes.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 2019
- Accession Number
- AD1230928
Entities
People
- Moriba Jah
Organizations
- University of Texas at Austin