A method for estimating collision between a satellite in orbit and at least one piece of space debris having a time of closest approach to the satellite is disclosed including: obtaining the reference orbit of the satellite; determining an ephemeris of state transition data representative of the trajectory of the reference orbit; communicating the reference orbit and the ephemeris of state transition data to the satellite. The method includes the steps on board the satellite of: determining the true orbital position of the satellite; propagating the true orbit; calculating a probability of collision between the satellite and the piece of debris.

A method for transferring a spacecraft (10), such as an artificial satellite, from an initial elliptical orbit (30) to a final geostationary orbit (50), the spacecraft taking at least one intermediate elliptical orbit (40) propelled by electric propulsion means (12, 13), the method includes: when the spacecraft is in an intermediate orbit, a nominal thrust step (410) in which the propulsion means generate nominal thrust while the spacecraft is on at least part of a first orbital arc (41) passing through the apogee A of the intermediate orbit, and a minimum thrust step (420), in which the propulsion means are partly stopped or slowed while the spacecraft is on at least part (43) of a second orbital arc (42) passing through the perigee P of the intermediate orbit, the two orbital arcs being complementary.

An electrospray thruster with integrated propellant storage directly embedded into small satellite structural elements integrates the volume of the thruster into the volume of the rail.

A method and system for activating thrusters of a vehicle for trajectory-tracking control of the vehicle. A transfer orbit generator to generate a transfer orbit for the vehicle from an initial orbit to a target orbit, and a feedback stabilization controller. Compute the target orbit for the vehicle about the celestial body. Compute a free trajectory with patch points along the free trajectory using a free trajectory module, each patch point includes a position and a velocity. Determine a feedback gain at each patch point using a feedback gain module, wherein a state penalty function at each patch point is set to match a state uncertainty function at the same patch point. Apply the feedback gain at each patch point to map the position and the velocity at each patch point to delta v commands, to maintain the target orbit using a feedback stabilization controller.

A method for preprocessing data for device operations can include preprocessing measurement data using a machine learning technique, determining, by a Kalman filter and based on (1) the preprocessed measurement data or the measurement data and (2) prediction data from a prediction model predicting a measurement associated with the measurement data, corrected measurement data, and providing the corrected measurement data based on the predicted measurement and the preprocessed measurement data.

Provided are an information processing device and the like capable of presenting a user-desired observation result to the user rapidly in a case where observation is performed using observation satellites. The information processing device comprises receiving means for receiving a request to acquire observation data based on a result of observing a designated range at a designated time, specifying means for using orbit information for a plurality of observation satellites to specify an observation satellite with which the designated range can be observed on or after the designated time from among the plurality of observation satellites, and acquiring means for acquiring requested observation data, that is, the observation data which is generated by the specified observation satellite and which is based on a result of observing the designated range on or after the designated time.

Satellites having autonomously deployable solar arrays are disclosed. A disclosed example satellite includes a solar array, a sensor to detect that the satellite has exited a launch vehicle, a processor to enable ignition of squibs of a squib array based on the satellite exiting the launch vehicle, and a squib controller to control the ignition of the squibs based on a firing sequence of the squibs, where the squib controller is to vary the firing sequence to autonomously deploy the solar array.

In an orbital attitude control device (1150), an ideal thrust axis direction calculator (1505) calculates an ideal thrust axis direction based on information of a predetermined orbit, an ideal attitude calculator (1506) calculates an ideal attitude of the satellite based on the ideal thrust axis direction and a solar direction, and a control torque calculator (1510) calculates an ideal control torque that makes the attitude of the satellite follow the ideal attitude and a torque restraint plane in which the solar direction is orthogonal to a rotational axis of the solar array panel, defines an evaluation function obtained by weighting a distance from the ideal control torque and a distance from the torque restraint plane and then summing the weighted distances, and calculates the control torque that allows the drive constraint to be satisfied and the evaluation function to be minimized.

A space information recorder (100) acquires space object information (500), which is orbit forecast information of a plurality of space objects (60), from a management business device (40) used by a management business operator that manages the plurality of space objects (60), and records the space object information (500). The space object information (500) includes a forecast epoch, a forecast orbital element, and a forecast error of each of the plurality of space objects (60). When it is foreseen that a space object A included in the plurality of space objects (60) will intrude into a range at orbital altitudes of 300 km to 1000 km in which a satellite group of LST 10:00 to 11:00 is present, a time period from intrusion to exit and orbit forecast information are recorded.

A method and a device for deorbiting artificial satellites from Earth orbit, the artificial satellite having multilayer insulation, at least partially detaches at least one layer of the multilayer insulation from the artificial satellite. Due to detachment of the layer, the underlying satellite structure is exposed to environmental influences. This exposure accelerates the self-disintegration of the artificial satellite, and thereby reduces the mass and increases the ballistic coefficient. Splaying out the layer augments its cross-sectional area and leads due to energy reduction to a premature re-entry into Earth's atmosphere. A number of layers can be arranged here so that regardless of a rotation of the satellite, at least one surface is always directed against the aerodynamic flow.