Evaluation of State Uncertainty for Resident Space Objects

Project Summary

Traditional methods for informing situational awareness of space objects struggle to account for complex factors like perturbations from external forces, non-spherical Earth effects, and uncertainties in initial state estimates.

This new approach incorporates these factors into its estimation process, resulting in a more realistic and adaptable representation of uncertainty. By relaxing some of the unrealistic assumptions and leveraging more sophisticated statistical tools and advanced sensor fusion, it achieves a higher level of accuracy in characterizing the true uncertainty of an object’s orbital trajectory.

The team will also undertake a comprehensive evaluation of approaches and methods to evaluating state uncertainty of space objects. This will include analysis and comparison of multiple methods, as well as simulation and testing.

The precision of this approach would allow for better resource allocation, manoeuvre planning, and real-time decision-making, all of which are crucial for maintaining security and supremacy in the evolving space domain. Overall, this novel approach has the potential to significantly enhance Defence’s ability to protect vital space assets and adapt to the challenges of an increasingly contested space environment.