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Comparison of different methods to compute a preliminary orbit of Space Debris using radar observations

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 January 2015

Hélène Ma
Affiliation:
Dipartimento di Matematica, Università di Pisa, Largo B. Pontecorvo 5, Pisa, Italy email: helenema@mail.dm.unipi.it
Giovanni F. Gronchi
Affiliation:
Dipartimento di Matematica, Università di Pisa, Largo B. Pontecorvo 5, Pisa, Italy email: gronchi@dm.unipi.it
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Abstract

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We advertise a new method of preliminary orbit determination for space debris using radar observations, which we call Infang. We can perform a linkage of two sets of four observations collected at close times. The context is characterized by the accuracy of the range ρ, whereas the right ascension α and the declination δ are much more inaccurate due to observational errors. This method can correct α, δ, assuming the exact knowledge of the range ρ. Considering no perturbations from the J2 effect, but including errors in the observations, we can compare the new method, the classical method of Gibbs, and the more recent Keplerian integrals method. The development of Infang is still on-going and will be further improved and tested.

Type
Contributed Papers
Copyright
Copyright © International Astronomical Union 2014 

References

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