Orbit Determination Network System for Micro and Nano Satellites Using Low-Cost Ground Stations

Abstract

The number of micro- and nanosatellites has rapidly increased in recent years. The tracking of some satellites can be insufficient if orbits are not determined by the development institutions. This is especially true in the case of low-altitude satellites, in which the orbit frequently changes. In this paper, the activities of the international Orbit Determination Network (ODN) system are described, and the feasibility of tracking is quantitatively evaluated on the basis of simultaneous observations in two countries. The hardware and software architecture required for a conventional low-cost ground station to become a node of the network is also described in detail.