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Dawn Orbit Determination Team : Trajectory Modeling and Reconstruction Processes at VestaThe NASA Dawn spacecraft was launched on September 27, 2007 on a mission to study the asteroid belt's two largest objects, Vesta and Ceres. It is the first deep space orbiting mission to demonstrate solar-electric ion propulsion, providing the necessary delta-V to enable capture and escape from two extraterrestrial bodies. At this time, Dawn has completed its science campaign at Vesta and is currently on its journey to Ceres, where it will arrive in mid-2015. The spacecraft spent over a year in orbit around Vesta from July 2011 through August 2012, capturing science data during four dedicated orbit phases. In order to maintain the reference orbits necessary for science and enable the transfers between those orbits, precise and timely orbit determination was required. The constraints associated with low-thrust ion propulsion coupled with the relatively unknown a priori gravity and rotation models for Vesta presented unique challenges for the Dawn orbit determination team. While [1] discusses the prediction performance of the orbit determination products, this paper discusses the dynamics models, filter configuration, and data processing implemented to deliver a rapid orbit determination capability to the Dawn project.
Document ID
20150004627
Acquisition Source
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Document Type
Conference Paper
External Source(s)
Authors
Abrahamson, Matt
(Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Ardito, Alessandro
(Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica Italy)
Han, Don
(Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Haw, Robert
(Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Kennedy, Brian
(Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Mastrodemos, Nicholas
(Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Nandi, Sumita
(Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Park, Ryan
(Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Rush, Brian
(Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Vaughan, Andrew
(Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Date Acquired
April 8, 2015
Publication Date
February 10, 2013
Subject Category
Astrodynamics
Meeting Information
Meeting: AAS/AIAA Spaceflight Mechanics Meeting
Location: Kauai, HI
Country: United States
Start Date: February 10, 2013
End Date: February 14, 2013
Sponsors: American Astronautical Society, American Inst. of Aeronautics and Astronautics
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other
Keywords
Vesta
navigation
Orbit determination
asteroids
trajectory
Dawn mission

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