Observability of light curve shape inversion based on optical data

Abstract

The shape and attitude of resident space objects directly affect the orbit propagation via drag and solar radiation pressure. Obtaining information beyond an object state also is integral to identifying an object, aid in tracing its origin and its capabilities. For objects \nthat have a significant distance to the observer, only non-resolved imaging is available, which does not reveal any details of the object. So-called non-resolved light curve measurements, i.e., brightness measurements over time, can be used to determine the \nshape of convex space objects using an inversion scheme. The inversion process starts by first determining the Extended Gaussian Image (EGI) and then solving the Minkowski problem to obtain the closed shape result. However, the light curve inversion problem \nis, by its nature, an under-determined problem. Hence, it is very sensitive to the sequencing of the observations collected. In this paper, the observability assessment for the light curve shape inversion problem is developed. The methodology is then applied to \nthe observation sequencing of the Atlas V upper stage observed by the Astronomical Institute of the University of Bern (AIUB) Zimlat telescope. It is shown how observability conditions change based on telescope constraints and desired shape resolution.