Formation Flight for Imaging Resident Space Objects

A system for controlling a formation of space vehicles to image an object, the system comprising:

• an input for receiving image data acquired by one or more of the space vehicles in the formation;
• a state estimation module for forming state estimate data for the formation of space vehicles, the state estimate data being based at least in part on relative positions and orientations of the space vehicles in the formation;
• and
• a guidance module for determining one or more guidance commands for the space vehicles in the formation based at least in part on the state estimate data, the one or more guidance commands being determined to orient the space vehicles relative to the object for imaging of the object.

Software stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium, the software comprising instructions for causing a computing system to control a formation of space vehicles to image an object, the instructions causing the computing system to:

• receive image data acquired by one or more of the space vehicles in the formation;
• form state estimate data for the formation of space vehicles, the state estimate data being based at least in part on relative positions and orientations of the space vehicles in the formation;
• and
• determine one or more guidance commands for the space vehicles in the formation based at least in part on the state estimate data, the one or more guidance commands being determined to orient the space vehicles relative to the object for imaging of the object.