On-board passive-image based non-cooperative space object capture window estimation

Abstract

Abstract This paper proposes a novel capture window estimation framework for non-cooperative space object capture mission. The proposed approach is developed by taking into account the following facts: 1) only one monocular camera onboard the capturer satellite is available; 2) the a-priori knowledge of resident space objects (RSOs) is strictly limited; 3) the capture window estimation framework is independent from the capture modes. The relative state between the observed space object and capturer is formulated in a probabilistic manner through solving the admissible region from passive-images. Then, the probability and probability rate of a target entering the capture zone are efficiently characterized, leading to a complete RSO capture window estimation architecture. Finally, the entire algorithm is validated by a Monte Carlo simulation and an experimental trial, results from which demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach in terms of estimation accuracy and reliability.