Russia Develops Algorithm to Improve Spaceflight Safety

Professor Andrey Baranov of the Engineering Academy at Peoples' Friendship University of Russia named after Patrice Lumumba (RUDN) has developed algorithms that enable the rapid determination of a spacecraft’s manoeuvre parameters using a minimum of data – just one or two measurements from Earth, according to TV BRICS.

The development enables the instantaneous tracking of active satellites and the prediction of the trajectories of so-called space debris, reducing the risk of collisions in orbit, according to the website of the Peoples' Friendship University of Russia named after Patrice Lumumba (RUDN), a partner of TV BRICS.

It is noted that there are currently around 5,000 manoeuvring satellites in near-Earth orbits. They are constantly changing their orbit: adjusting their position, avoiding debris or carrying out new tasks. Traditional methods for calculating a new orbit require lengthy observations (several communication sessions or series of measurements), which increases the risk of accidental proximity to other objects in space. The RUDN professor has demonstrated that just one or two brief measurements are sufficient to determine an orbit following a manoeuvre.

"Space is no longer empty – there is a veritable 'traffic jam' of satellites and debris around the Earth. The sooner we understand where an object will fly after a manoeuvre, the safer spaceflight will be. Our method allows us to do this using two angles – just as a navigator uses the stars to determine a course, only in our case it is done by mathematics," explains the scientist.

The formula uses a series of measurements lasting a few seconds or minutes. Based on this data, the new algorithm reconstructs the full picture: where, when and with what force the engine fired, how the orbit changed and where the satellite is now heading.

Furthermore, the new method allows for the assessment of unaccounted-for perturbations acting on passive objects: old rocket stages; and debris, including thin membrane structures with a large surface area. For such objects, traditional perturbation models (solar pressure, atmospheric drag) perform poorly, and their orbits are often predicted with error. The new method allows the constant perturbing acceleration to be calculated from a single pair of measurements and then taken into account when calculating future motion.

It is reported that the research results have already been tested on real data from geostationary satellites. In the experiments, the error in determining the manoeuvre parameters was only a fraction of a per cent. The RUDN method is ready for practical implementation in space tracking centres.