Project Title:
Simultaneous Orbit Determination with Physical Connectedness
08.05-1590
Simultaneous Orbit Determination with Physical Connectedness
Applied Technology Associates Inc.
444 Castro Street, Suite 520
Mountain View
CA
94041
Wright
James R.
NAS5-29417
Amount:
GSFC
NAS5-28637
Abstract:
The innovation, called SIMULTANEOUS ORBIT DETERMINATION, refers to thesequential simultaneous estimation of the orbits of two spacecraft (TDRS and SPACE
SHUTTLE, or TDRS and SME, or TDRS and any low altitude "USER") when tracking measurements
depend simultaneously on both orbits. TDRS relay range measurements and TDRS relay
doppler measurements satisfy this tracking measurement condition.
Two Phase I objectives have been accomplished: (1) Live TDRS relay-doppler measurements
were collected for SHUTTLE Mission 41G, together with appropriate support data; (2)
A 200-page Experiment Design Report was written to define the development of a live
data engineering test-bed for Phase II.
The principal objective for Phase II is to demonstrate significant orbit determination
accuracy improvements for the TDRS and SHUTTLE (or SME) orbits using live TDRS relay
range and/or relay doppler tracking data; and using our innovation: SIMULTANEOUS
ORBIT DETERMINATION.
Planned Phase II efforts will consist of: (1) development and validation of the
ATA algorithm/software capability; (2) live tracking data demonstrations with TDRS/SME
and TDRS/SHUTTLE spacecraft combinations; (3) determination of predicted and post-
fit ephemeris accuracy performance.
We expect that a successful demonstration of SIMULTANEOUS ORBIT DETERMINATION will
enable the elimination of both the GSTDN and BRTS tracking network.