Deep-space optical navigation is among the most promising techniques to autonomously estimate the position of a spacecraft in deep space. The method relies on the acquisition of the line-of-sight directions to a number of navigation beacons. The position knowledge depends upon the tracked objects. This paper elaborates on the impact of the observation geometry to the overall performances of the method. A covariance analysis is carried out considering beacons geometry as well as pointing and input errors. A performance index is formulated, and criteria for an optimal beacons selection are derived in a scenario involving two measurements. A test case introducing ten available beacons pairs is used to prove the effectiveness of the developed strategy in selecting the optimal pair, which leads to the smallest achievable error.
Optimal Beacons Selection for Deep-Space Optical Navigation
J Astronaut Sci
The Journal of the Astronautical Sciences ; 67 , 4 ; 1775-1792
2020-12-01
18 pages
Article (Journal)
Electronic Resource
English