CLOSE PROXIMITY SPACECRAFT OPERATIONS USING STEREOSCOPIC IMAGING

The relative guidance, navigation, and control of a pair of spacecraft using real-time data from a stereoscopic imaging sensor are investigated. Because line-of-sight measurements from a single imager are typically insufficient for system observability, a second imager with a known baseline vector to the first imager is included to achieve system observability with the addition of relative range measurements. The stereoscopic imaging system as modeled provides measurements capable of achieving a complete navigation solution. An SDRE controller is used to provide closed-loop control to maintain a desired relative orbit. An Unscented Kalman Filter is used to estimate the chief spacecraft's inertial states using GPS measurements and the deputy spacecraft's inertial states with stereoscopic imaging relative position measurements. Relative Orbital Elements are implemented to model separation between the spacecraft.