Orbit Estimation Using a Horizon Detector in the Presence of Uncertain Celestial Body Rotation and Geometry

TL;DR

This paper develops a method for orbit estimation using horizon detector measurements that accounts for uncertainties in celestial body rotation and shape, employing an unscented Kalman filter and Monte Carlo simulations.

Contribution

It introduces a novel approach to orbit estimation that incorporates non-simultaneous horizon measurements and models uncertainties in celestial body parameters.

Findings

State errors converge to zero despite uncertainties

Non-simultaneous measurements improve estimation accuracy

Monte Carlo simulations validate the method's robustness

Abstract

This paper presents an orbit estimation using non-simultaneous horizon detector measurements in the presence of uncertainties in the celestial body rotational velocity and its geometrical characteristics. The celestial body is modelled as a tri-axial ellipsoid with a three-dimensional force field. The non-simultaneous modelling provides the possibility to consider the time gap between horizon measurements. An unscented Kalman filter is used to estimate the spacecraft motion states and estimate the geometric characteristics as well as the rotational velocity of the celestial body. A Monte-Carlo simulation is implemented to verify the results. Simulations showed that using non-simultaneous horizon vector measurements, the spacecraft state errors converge to zero even in the presence of an uncertain geometry and rotational velocity of the celestial body.