Related papers: Autonomous optical navigation for DESTINY+: Enhanc…
The Kepler spacecraft is currently unable to hold a steady pointing and it is slowly drifting during observations. We believe that if one has to deal with targets that drift across the CCDs, one should at least be able to track the targets…
Depth estimation is a cornerstone of perception in autonomous driving and robotic systems. The considerable cost and relatively sparse data acquisition of LiDAR systems have led to the exploration of cost-effective alternatives, notably,…
Optical navigation on a CubeSat must rely on the best extraction of the directions of some beacons from on-board images. We present an experiment on OPS-SAT, a CubeSat of the European Space Agency (ESA), that will characterize an onboard…
Automation of alignment tasks can provide improved efficiency and greatly increase the flexibility of an optical system. Current optical systems with automated alignment capabilities are typically designed to include a dedicated wavefront…
We propose factor graph optimization for simultaneous planning, control, and trajectory estimation for collision-free navigation of autonomous systems in environments with moving objects. The proposed online probabilistic motion planning…
Balloon-borne astronomy offers an attractive option for experiments that require precise pointing and attitude stabilization, due to a large reduction in the atmospheric interference observed by ground-based systems as well as the low-cost…
This paper addresses the optimal scan profile problem for strip imaging in an Earth observation satellite (EOS) equipped with a time-delay integration (TDI) camera. Modern TDI cameras can control image integration frequency during imaging…
Observability of the target, safety, and robustness are often recognized as critical factors in ensuring successful far-range proximity operations. The application of angles-only (AO) navigation for proximity operations is often met with…
We study the nonlinear observability of a systems states in view of how well they are observable and what control inputs would improve the convergence of their estimates. We use these insights to develop an observability-aware…
This paper introduces an algorithm to perform optimal reorientation of a spacecraft during a high speed flyby mission that maximizes the time a certain target is kept within the field of view of scientific instruments. The method directly…
The spacecraft attitude tracking problem is addressed with actuator faults and uncertainties among inertias, external disturbances, and, in particular, state estimates. A continuous sliding mode attitude controller is designed using…
Due to the inability to receive signals from the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) in extreme conditions, achieving accurate and robust navigation for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) is a challenging task. Recently emerged,…
In the future, extraterrestrial expeditions will not only be conducted by rovers but also by flying robots. The technical demonstration drone Ingenuity, that just landed on Mars, will mark the beginning of a new era of exploration…
TianQin is a geocentric space-based gravitational-wave observatory mission consisting of three drag-free controlled satellites in an equilateral triangle with an orbital radius of $ 10^{5}$ km. The constellation faces the white-dwarf binary…
The accumulation of aberrations along the optical path in a telescope produces distortions and speckles in the resulting images, limiting the performance of cameras at high angular resolution. It is important to achieve the highest possible…
We describe the optical alignment method for the Prime-focus Infrared Microlensing Experiment (PRIME) telescope which is a prime-focus near-infrared (NIR) telescope with a wide field of view for the microlensing planet survey toward the…
Autonomous navigation and path-planning around non-cooperative space objects is an enabling technology for on-orbit servicing and space debris removal systems. The navigation task includes the determination of target object motion, the…
This work develops low-energy spacecraft (SC) trajectories using Venus gravity assists to study asteroids during heliocentric transfer segments between planetary encounters. The study focuses on potentially hazardous asteroids (PHAs) as…
The next generation of telescopes such as the SKA and the Rubin Observatory will produce enormous data sets, requiring automated anomaly detection to enable scientific discovery. Here, we present an overview and friendly user guide to the…
To autonomously navigate in real-world environments, special in search and rescue operations, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) necessitate comprehensive maps to ensure safety. However, the prevalent metric map often lacks semantic…