Enhanced Stability of Cislunar-Based Small Satellite Constellations via Preferential-EKF
In the NewSpace era, space systems are rapidly advancing to meet increasing competition and the need for robust, value-added satellite operations in Cislunar space. Small satellites play a pivotal role in this evolution, supporting Earth-based applications while enabling deep space exploration. This...
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| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
IEEE
2025-01-01
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| Series: | IEEE Access |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/11080422/ |
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| Summary: | In the NewSpace era, space systems are rapidly advancing to meet increasing competition and the need for robust, value-added satellite operations in Cislunar space. Small satellites play a pivotal role in this evolution, supporting Earth-based applications while enabling deep space exploration. This paper tackles the critical challenge of maintaining stable relative motion within small satellite constellations operating in dynamic orbital environments. Precise relative orbital positioning is vital to ensure reliable data delivery with minimal latency. To address this, a novel Preferential-EKF technique is presented as an autonomous enhancement to the traditional Extended Kalman Filter (EKF). This approach enables self-organizing behavior when known or unknown in-orbit anomalies occur. The method accounts for key Cislunar dynamics, including J2 perturbations, atmospheric drag, solar radiation pressure, and interactions with debris and other satellites. Comprehensive orbital stability analyses, supported by detailed simulations and parametric studies, demonstrate the technique’s effectiveness. The results confirm Preferential-EKF’s ability to improve constellation coordination and resilience. This highlights the growing importance of autonomy for future Cislunar operations involving small satellite constellations. |
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| ISSN: | 2169-3536 |