Florida International University FIU Digital Commons FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations University Graduate School 11-15-2013 Modeling, Simulation, and Characterization of Space Debris in low-Earth Orbit Paul D. McCall [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/etd Part of the Signal Processing Commons, and the Space Vehicles Commons Recommended Citation McCall, Paul D., "Modeling, Simulation, and Characterization of Space Debris in low-Earth Orbit" (2013). FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 965. http://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/etd/965 This work is brought to you for free and open access by the University Graduate School at FIU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of FIU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY Miami, Florida MODELING, SIMULATION, AND CHARACTERIZATION OF SPACE DEBRIS IN LOW-EARTH ORBIT A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY in ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING by Paul David McCall 2013 To: Dean Amir Mirmiran College of Engineering and Computing This dissertation, written by Paul David McCall, and entitled Modeling, simulation, and characterization of space debris in low-Earth orbit, having been approved in respect to style and intellectual content, is referred to you for judgment. We have read this dissertation and recommend that it be approved. _______________________________________ Jean H. Andrian _______________________________________ Armando Barreto _______________________________________ Naphtali David Rishe _______________________________________ Malek Adjouadi, Major Professor Date of Defense: November 15, 2013 The dissertation of Paul David McCall is approved. _______________________________________ Dean Amir Mirmiran College of Engineering and Computing _______________________________________ Dean Lakshmi N. Reddi University Graduate School Florida International University, 2013 ii © Copyright 2013 by Paul David McCall All rights reserved. iii DEDICATION This text is dedicated to my wife and the love of my life, Natalie McCall. Without her support and sacrifice this effort would not have been possible. Thank you and I love you. 1 John 3:18 iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS First and foremost, I would like to convey my heartfelt gratitude to my mentor and research advisor, Dr. Malek Adjouadi. His support, passion, and commitment to research have been an inspiration to many young researchers including myself. His teachings, encouragement, and positive attitude have made this dissertation a reality. Throughout this entire process, from choosing internships, to preparing for presentations, writing recommendation letters, and editing this dissertation his knowledge, guidance, and patience have been truly inexhaustible. He is directly responsible for my choice to pursue graduate studies in signal and image processing. His dedication to research and his students are evident through all his actions and efforts. If blessed with the opportunity, I hope to be half the mentor to someone else that he has been to me. For the works listed above, and the numerous others not listed here, thank you. I would like to recognize the other members of my dissertation committee, Dr. Jean H. Andrian, Dr. Armando Barreto, and Dr. Naphtali Rishe, for their continued commitment towards this research and the sage advice given throughout this process. Through numerous classroom lectures, projects, and discussions they have taught, challenged, and developed me as a young engineer. Their insight and expertise has allowed me to pursue diverse and meaningful research for which I am very appreciative. I would like to take time to thank the other numerous scientists and engineers whom made this research possible; Dr. Leslie Vaughn and Mrs. Millay Morgan for their oversight of the Local Area Sensors program at the AFRL, Dr. Madeleine Naudeau, for her role as advisor and mentor during the Summer Scholars Program at the AFRL, Mr. v Chris Dodson for laying a foundation with the radiant flux modeling efforts, Mrs. Rachel Sharples for help, guidance, and contributions in all thermal-related simulation endeavors, Dr. Scott Milster for his help in astronomical conversions, Mr. Marlon Sorge for his assistance regarding astrodynamics and debris modeling, Mr. Tom Farrell for his guidance and expertise in optical systems, and Dr. Paul LeVan, Dr. Moriba Jah, and Dr. Carolin Frueh for their knowledge and guidance on many aspects of this research. I would like to thank the many science, math, history, and literature teachers from elementary, middle, and high school that provided the much needed challenges, encouragement, and patience necessary to enable this life-long student with a thirst for knowledge. My lab mates in the Center for Advanced Technology and Education at Florida International University, Krishna Vedala and Anas Eddin, have provided many thoughtful insights, laughs, and interesting discussions for which I am very thankful. I would like to thank my family. My brothers, Philip McCall and Sean McCall, and sister, Heather, have all been a tremendous inspiration, guiding light, and support structure throughout my life. My parents, Philip and Phyllis McCall have been a blessing for which I cannot be thankful enough. This work was supported by the National Science Foundation under grants CNS- 0959985, CNS-1042341, HRD-0833093 and IIP-1338922 and IIP-1230661. The author of this dissertation was partially supported by the Department of Defense (DoD) through the National Defense Science & Engineering Graduate Fellowship (NDSEG) Program, and through participation in the Air Force Research Laboratory Summer Scholars vi Program. The author is supported through the Betty G. Reader Graduate Scholarship from Florida International University. Use of STK 10 was provided via the Educational Alliance Program partnership between Florida International University and Analytic Graphics Inc. Dissemination and presentation of this work would not be possible without the support provided by Dr. Jaydeep Mukherjee and the Florida Space Grant Consortium. vii ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION MODELING, SIMULATION, AND CHARACTERIZATION OF SPACE DEBRIS IN LOW-EARTH ORBIT by Paul David McCall Florida International University, 2013 Miami, Florida Professor Malek Adjouadi, Major Professor Every space launch increases the overall amount of space debris. Satellites have limited awareness of nearby objects that might pose a collision hazard. Astrometric, radiometric, and thermal models for the study of space debris in low-Earth orbit have been developed. This modeled approach proposes analysis methods that provide increased Local Area Awareness for satellites in low-Earth and geostationary orbit. Local Area Awareness is defined as the ability to detect, characterize, and extract useful information regarding resident space objects as they move through the space environment surrounding a spacecraft. The study of space debris is of critical importance to all space-faring nations. Characterization efforts are proposed using long-wave infrared sensors for space-based observations of debris objects in low-Earth orbit. Long-wave infrared sensors are commercially available and do not require solar illumination to be observed, as their received signal is temperature dependent. The characterization of debris objects through means of passive imaging techniques allows for further studies into the viii origination, specifications, and future trajectory of debris objects. Conclusions are made regarding the aforementioned thermal analysis as a function of debris orbit, geometry, orientation with respect to time, and material properties. Development of a thermal model permits the characterization of debris objects based upon their received long-wave infrared signals. Information regarding the material type, size, and tumble- rate of the observed debris objects are extracted. This investigation proposes the utilization of long-wave infrared radiometric models of typical debris to develop techniques for the detection and characterization of debris objects via signal analysis of unresolved imagery. Knowledge regarding the orbital type and semi-major axis of the observed debris object are extracted via astrometric analysis. This knowledge may aid in the constraint of the admissible region for the initial orbit determination process. The resultant orbital information is then fused with the radiometric characterization analysis enabling further characterization efforts of the observed debris object. This fused analysis, yielding orbital, material, and thermal properties, significantly increases a satellite’s Local Area Awareness via an intimate understanding of the debris environment surrounding the spacecraft. ix TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE 1. INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................ 1 2. LITERATURE REVIEW ........................................................................................... 10 2.1. Classical initial orbit determination methods ..................................................... 10 2.2. Other orbit determination methods and associated topics .................................. 11 2.2.1. Too Short Arc observations ............................................................................ 12 2.2.2. Orbit determination for space debris .............................................................