Orbit/covariance estimation and analysis (OCEAN) determination for satellites

A system for estimating the position, velocity and other parameters of each orbital body of a plurality of orbital bodies comprising:

• means for receiving emissions from at least one orbital body;
• means for computing an estimated position, velocity and other parameters for each orbital body of the plurality of orbital bodies, ground stations, and biases for multiple measurement types, simultaneously;
• means for automatically resizing the maximum number of orbital bodies, when compiling a computer source code without the need for re-coding the computer source code;
• means for adding new measurement types and state parameters to the computer source code;
• and
• means for displaying the estimated position, velocity, and other parameters of each orbital body of the plurality of orbital bodies, ground stations, and measurement types.

A computer implemented process for estimating the position, velocity and other parameters of each orbital body of a plurality of orbital bodies comprising:

• provide an initial condition file to store the orbital bodies position, velocity and other parameters;
• provide a site-specific installation file for directory and naming of information for external files;
• select of a processing mode of the system;
• determine by a weighted least squares batch estimation process the bodies orbit through estimating the orbital bodies position, velocity and other parameters using electromagnetic and optical emissions of the orbital bodies and ground stations;
• configure of process parameters using a set of key words found in a data base file and override files;
• identify for each parameter a source from which to obtain the parameters value;
• read an a priori initial condition file to obtain an initial guess of each orbital body's state vector and covariance;
• read in an observation file;
• analyze the observation file;
• read in an estimation configuration file to determine which parameters are to be estimated or held fixed;
• create a problem state and index array to collapse states and matrices;
• set up pointer arrays to locate relevant information;
• read in covariance override file to change any desired covariance terms recovered from the initial condition file;
• process, sequentially, observations in the observation file;
• configure process parameters using a set of key words found in a data base and the override files;
• create a post priori initial condition file at the estimation time;
• produce an ephemeris file;
• configure process parameters using a set of key words found in data base and override files;
• read in by a create initial file process initial orbital body states in terms of mean orbital elements, and osculating Cartesian coordinates;
• and
• create an a priori initial condition file compatible with the foregoing processes for orbit determination and prediction.

A method for estimating the position, velocity, and other parameters of each orbital body of a plurality of orbital bodies comprising the steps:

• receiving emissions from each orbital body of the plurality of orbital bodies;
• computing an estimated position, velocity, and other parameters of each orbital body of the plurality of orbital bodies, simultaneously;
• and
• displaying the estimated position, velocity, and other parameters of each orbital body of the plurality of orbital bodies.

A method for automatically resizing a problem at a beginning of execution of a computer implemented process without the need for re-coding a computer program comprising the steps of:

• setting global limits on allowable numbers of ground stations, orbital bodies, measurement types, and parameters to estimate by the use of a set of parameters;
• selecting an index array indicating which states are to be held fixed or estimated;
• and
• applying the index array to form an overall system state and a collapsed state consisting of the estimate parameters.

A method for estimating the position, velocity, and other parameters of each orbital body of a plurality of orbital bodies comprising the steps of:

• receiving emissions from at least one orbital body;
• computing an estimated position, velocity and other parameters for rich orbital body of the plurality of orbital bodies, ground stations, and measurement types, simultaneously;
• resizing, automatically, a problem when compiling a computer source code without the need for re-coding the computer source code;
• adding new measurement types and state parameters;
• and
• displaying the estimated position, velocity, and other parameters of each orbital body of the plurality of orbital bodies, ground stations, and measurement types.

A method for determining the position, velocity and other parameters of each orbital body of a plurality of orbital bodies comprising the steps of:

• reading a site-specific installation file for directory and naming of information for external files;
• selecting a processing mode of the system;
• determining an orbital body's orbit by a weighted least squares batch estimation;
• configuring process parameters using a set of key words found in a data base file and override files;
• identifying for each parameter a source from which to obtain the parameter's value;
• reading an initial condition file to obtain an initial, estimation of each orbital body of the plurality of orbital bodies state vector and covariance;
• reading in an observation file;
• analyzing the observation file;
• reading in an estimation configuration file to determine which parameters are to be estimated or hold fixed;
• creating a problem state and index array to collapse states and matrices;
• setting up pointer arrays to locate relevant information;
• reading in covariance override file to change any desired covariance terms recovered from the initial condition file;
• processing, sequentially, observations in the observation file;
• configuring process parameters using a set of key words found in a data base and the override files;
• creating an initial condition file;
• reading in the initial condition file to obtain an initial estimation of each orbital body of the plurality of orbital bodies state vectors and covariance;
• producing an ephemeris file;
• configuring process parameters using a set of key words found in data base and override files;
• reading in initial orbital body state in terms of mean orbital elements, or osculating Cartesian coordinates;
• and
• creating an initial condition file compatible with the foregoing processes for orbit determination and prediction.