NORAD TLE Type Orbit Determination of LEO Satellites Using GPS Navigation Solutions

Abstract

NORAD Two Line Elements (TLE) are widely used for the increasing number of small satellite mission operations and analysis. However, due to the irregular periodicity of generation of the NORAD TLE, a new TLE that is independent of NORAD is required. A TLE type Orbit Determination (TLEOD) has been developed for the generation of a new TLE. Thus, the TLEOD system can provide an Antenna Control Unit (ACU) with the orbit determination result in the type of a TLE, which provides a simple interface for the commercialized ACU system. For the TLEOD system, NORAD SGP4 was used to make a new orbit determination system. In addition, a least squares method was implemented for the TLEOD system with the GPS navigation solutions of the KOMPSAT-1. Considering both the Orbit Propagation (OP) difference and the tendency of B* value, the preferable span of the day in the observation data was selected to be 3 days. Through the OD with 3 days observation data, the OP difference was derived and compared with that of Mission Analysis and Planning (MAPS) for the KOMPSAT-1. It has the extent from 2 km after six days to 4 km after seven days. This is qualified enough for the efficiency of an ACU in image reception and processing center of the KOMPSAT-2.

Keywords

• photometry
• Roche model
• absolute dimension