Integration of on-board multi-sensor for satellite real-time autonomous orbit determination

Autonomous satellite orbit determination is the first step of autonomous satellite control, and is the development trend of satellite control technology nowadays. It will greatly reduce the cost of satellite running and it is very significant for improving the satellite viability. An integration method of on-board multi-sensor for satellite real-time autonomous orbit determination is put forward in this paper. Accelerometer, star sensor and GPS receiver is integrated. Kalman filter is utilized for data fusion of multi-sensor. Real measurement data from GRACE satellite is utilized to validate the method of integration and data fusion. The result of real-time orbit determination is sub-meter level for position and millimeter level for velocity.