Quasi-Autonomous Orbit Determination Model by Optical Camera in Cislunar Space

Abstract

The operational time using ground stations for deep-space CubeSats is not much different from that for large satellite, and the large ratio of the operation cost to the total cost is a problem. Furthermore, the number of large antennas for deep-space is limited. Therefore, the future increase in the number of deep-space CubeSats will need navigation with reduced dependence on ground stations. One such method is the use of optical navigation cameras on-board spacecraft for orbit determination. In this paper, we propose a quasi-autonomous orbit determination model that combines optical camera observations and conventional range and range rate(RARR) observations. We also clarify to what extent optical navigation can reduce the frequency of ground station use through numerical orbit determination simulations. As a case study, the simulations are performed for EQUULEUS (EQUilibriUm Lunar-Earth point 6U Spacecraft) trajectory, which was launched in November 2022, assuming that the on-board optical camera DELPHINUS is used to determine its orbit. The numerical simulation settings are also developed to consider the camera performance and attitude changes to simulate the actual operational situation.