Related papers: Autonomous orbit determination for satelite format…
The use of four Lagrange points of the Sun/Earth system for fundamental physics experiments in space is presented. L1, L2, L4 and L5 rotating rigidly together with the Earth form a natural reference frame at the scale of the inner solar…
On-orbit manual attitude control of manned spacecraft is accomplished using external visual references and some method of three axis attitude control. All past, present, and developmental spacecraft feature the capability to manually…
Air-bearing platforms for simulating the rotational dynamics of satellites require highly precise ground truth systems. Unfortunately, commercial motion capture systems used for this scope are complex and expensive. This paper shows a novel…
A global navigation satellite system (GNSS) is a sensor that can acquire 3D position and velocity in an earth-fixed coordinate system and is widely used for outdoor position estimation of robots and vehicles. Various GNSS/inertial…
We present an approach for utilizing astrometric orbit information to improve the yield of planetary images and spectra from a follow-on direct detection mission. This approach is based on the notion-strictly hypothetical-that if a…
This paper proposes a highly accurate trajectory estimation method for outdoor mobile robots using global navigation satellite system (GNSS) time differences of carrier phase (TDCP) measurements. By using GNSS TDCP, the relative 3D position…
Recent advances with space navigation technologies developed by NASA in space-based atomic clocks and pulsar X-ray navigation combined with past successes in autonomous navigation using optical imaging, brings to the forefront the need to…
A crucial part of a space mission for very-long baseline interferometery (VLBI), which is the technique capable of providing the highest resolution images in astronomy, is orbit determination of the mission's space radio telescope(s). In…
We present the results of a large scale simulation, reproducing the behavior of a data center for the build-up and maintenance of a complete catalog of space debris in the upper part of the low Earth orbits region (LEO). The purpose is to…
A robust drift-safe rendezvous trajectory optimization tool is developed in this work, with applications to orbital rendezvous and proximity operations. The method is based on direct collocation and utilizes a sequential convex programming…
There is a desire to observe the sun's poles to further deepen our understanding of solar activity. However, because of the large speeds needed to perform out-of-ecliptic plane maneuvers, chemical and electric rocket propulsion mechanisms…
In this paper we address the problem of computing a preliminary orbit of a celestial body from one topocentric position vector and a very short arc (VSA) of optical observations. Using the conservation laws of the two-body dynamics, we…
The emergence of Agile Earth Observation Satellites (AEOSs) has marked a significant turning point in the field of Earth Observation (EO), offering enhanced flexibility in data acquisition. Concurrently, advancements in onboard satellite…
Small satellites have proven to be viable Earth observation platforms. These satellites operate in regimes of increased trajectory uncertainty where traditional planning approaches can lead to sub-optimal task plans, limiting science…
One of the fundamental limiting factors in planetary exploration is the autonomous capabilities of planetary exploration rovers. This study proposes a novel methodology for trustworthy autonomous multi-robot teams which incorporates data…
The precise knowledge of the positions of space debris objects and in particular of defunct satellites is fundamental for satellite operations. Several studies showed that it is possible to improve the accuracy of the orbit determination…
We propose AstroSLAM, a standalone vision-based solution for autonomous online navigation around an unknown target small celestial body. AstroSLAM is predicated on the formulation of the SLAM problem as an incrementally growing factor…
The resurgence of lunar operations requires advancements in cislunar navigation and Space Situational Awareness (SSA). Challenges associated to these tasks have created an interest in autonomous planning, navigation, and tracking…
Positioning with one inertial measurement unit and one ranging sensor is commonly thought to be feasible only when trajectories are in certain patterns ensuring observability. For this reason, to pursue observable patterns, it is required…
On the off-the-shelf navigational assistance devices, the localization precision is limited to the signal error of global navigation satellite system (GNSS). During travelling outdoors, the inaccurately localization perplexes visually…