Probability and frequency of orbital encounters
AssigneeAnalytical Graphics, Inc.
InventorsSalvatore Alfano, Daniel Oltrogge
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Systems, methods, devices, and non-transitory media of the various embodiments provide for a volumetric approach to determining orbital encounters that may determine the number of encounters over a specified length of time. Such information may be used to determine how often during an orbit or period of time an object might trigger a conjunction warning for a neighboring satellite. The various embodiments may be used as a planning and characterization tool to estimate satellite encounter rates for a prospective orbit regime and may provide an efficient, in-line approach to assess the number of encounters occurring within a user-specified span of time.
Claims20
A method for determining an encounter probability between satellites, comprising:
- receiving initial orbital elements of a first satellite, the initial orbital elements of the first satellite comprising an orbit semi-major axis, an eccentricity, an inclination, an ascending node, an argument of perigee, and a mean anomaly;
- calculating a first satellite's orbit according to the initial orbital elements of the first satellite;
- receiving orbital elements of a second satellite;
- calculating an orbit of a second satellite according to orbital elements of the second satellite;
- receiving characteristics of a volumetric shape that encloses the second satellite;
- rotating the volumetric shape along the second satellite's orbit to create a toroid;
- determining each penetration of the toroid by the first satellite's orbit, wherein each penetration comprises a nodal crossing;
- determining a length of each nodal crossing;
- calculating an instantaneous encounter probability value based on a total length of the nodal crossings for a single revolution about the orbit of the second satellite;
- and
- using the instantaneous encounter probability value to adjust the first satellite's orbit.
A computing device, comprising:
- a processor, wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations comprising:
- receiving initial orbital elements of a first satellite, the initial orbital elements of the first satellite comprising an orbit semi-major axis, an eccentricity, an inclination, an ascending node, an argument of perigee, and a mean anomaly;
- calculating a first satellite's orbit according to the initial orbital elements of the first satellite;
- receiving orbital elements of a second satellite;
- calculating an orbit of a second satellite according to orbital elements of the second satellite;
- receiving characteristics of a volumetric shape that encloses the second satellite;
- rotating the volumetric shape along the second satellite's orbit to create a toroid;
- determining each penetration of the toroid by the first satellite's orbit, wherein each penetration comprises a nodal crossing;
- determining a length of each nodal crossing;
- calculating an instantaneous encounter probability value based on a total length of the nodal crossings for a single revolution about the second satellite's orbit;
- and
- using the instantaneous encounter probability value to adjust the first satellite's orbit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.