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Orbit determination accuracy assessment for an asteroid flyby - A Galileo case studyThe Galileo spacecraft may be targeted for a close flyby of an asteroid on its way to an encounter with Jupiter. An orbit determination accuracy analysis was carried out for the case of the asteroid 29 Amphitrite based on the use of radio metric and optical data types. Prior to encounter, the uncertainty in the asteroid's position, based on astrometric observations from earth, amounts to several hundred kilometers. This ephemeris uncertainty constitutes the dominant error in the determination of the spacecraft orbit with respect to Amphitrite. It is shown that the spacecraft-asteroid relative position can be improved by imaging asteroid-star pairs with the Galileo charge-coupled device (CCD) camera, enabling an accurate flyby of the asteroid. The main benefit of optical navigation is to enable the instrument pointing updates necessary for closeup viewing of the asteroid. A discussion of the evolution of the target error ellipse parameters as a function of data coverage and various combinations of radiometric and optical data types is also presented.
Document ID
19870035137
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Kechichian, Jean A.
(Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Kenyon, Paul R.
(Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Moultrie, Benjamin
(California Institute of Technology Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena , United States)
Date Acquired
August 13, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 1987
Subject Category
Astronautics (General)
Report/Patent Number
AIAA PAPER 87-0094
Accession Number
87A22411
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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