Determination of the spacecraft’s spin axis orientation. Photometric patterns method

Abstract

Near-Earth space is becoming increasingly congested; the number of satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO), where there is already the greatest spatial density of objects (including man-made debris), is increasing rapidly. Knowing the status of non-cooperative space objects is one of the requirements of space situational awareness (SSA). Assessing the dynamic properties of large inactive satellites and rocket bodies, such as their rotation period and the spatial location of the rotation axis, is necessary to predict their orientation. This information is critical to both the success of active debris removal (ADR) missions and improved orbital propagation of objects in LEO. Monitoring the state of RSO is carried out by various means, including using ground-based optical sensors by collecting photometric data, processing it and analyzing light curves. This paper presents a new method for estimating the orientation of the RSO rotation axis in space. This method relies on structural analysis of RSO light curves and the search for similar fragments, called ”photometric patterns,” in observations obtained from one or several sites simultaneously or over a short period of time. The method does not require knowledge of the RSO shape and does not impose strict requirements on the quality of photometric observations.