Modeling Tethered Satellite Dynamics for Identification and Orbit Determination

Autor: Cochran, J. E., Cho, S., Lovell, T. A., Cicci, D. A.
Zdroj: Journal of the Astronautical Sciences; March 2000, Vol. 48 Issue: 1 p89-108, 20p
Abstrakt: This paper investigates methods of detection and orbit determination for a two-satellite tethered system, given observation data for one of the satellites over a relatively short time. Such a task is more difficult when the system has a relatively short tether and/or significant libration. The estimation of the state of the system using the same information is also more difficult under these conditions. Two different formulations of the equations of motion of a tethered satellite system with a massless tether are used to see which results in the best performance of detection and state estimation algorithms. The two formulations involve the use of different state variables. In the first, the position and velocity of the observed satellite are used. In the second formulation, we use the position and velocity of the observed satellite and its position and velocity relative to the center of mass of the system as variables. The second formulation provides equations that may be solved approximately for small libration angles to obtain an analytical solution that describes the motion better than a similar solution based on the first formulation. However, both formulations provide essentially the same orbit determination results.
Databáze: Supplemental Index