The Firepond Kalman Filter
Abstract
This report describes the satellite tracking Kalman filter implemented at the M.I.T. Lincoln Laboratory FIrepond Infrared REsearch Facility at Westford, MA. The filter estimates a six dimensional state vector for mount direction from satellite observations. These observations can consist of range, elevation, azimuth, and range rate; and under push-button control, can be selected from among the available Firepond detectors (IR and optical) and the Millstone radar across the road. Radar polar coordinates are used throughout and, in particular, both the estimates and the equations of motion are in these coordinates. The filter is fully coupled in the sense that every measurement improves every estimate. For example, angle measurements improve range and Doppler estimates, and conversely. Serial processing of simultaneous measurements is employed. This eliminates the need for matrix inversion, facilitates handling of missing data points, requires less storage, and is computationally faster. A detailed mathematical description of the filter is included along with some typical satellite tracking results.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Feb 04, 1977
- Accession Number
- ADA040131
Entities
People
- Sebastian F. Catalano
Organizations
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology