UNIQUE RESOURCE EXPLORING HOW SPACECRAFT IMAGERY PROVIDES PROFESSIONALS WITH ACCURATE ESTIMATES OF SPACECRAFT TRAJECTORY, WITH REAL-WORLD EXAMPLES AND DETAILED ILLUSTRATIONS Spacecraft Optical Navigation provides detailed information on the planning and analysis of spacecraft imagery to help determine the trajectory of a spacecraft. The author, an experienced engineer within the field, addresses the entirety of celestial targets and explains how a spacecraft captures their imagery. Aimed at professionals within spacecraft navigation, this book provides an extensive introduction and explains the history of optical navigation, reviewing a range of optical methods and presents real world examples throughout. With the use of mathematics, this book discusses everything from the orbits, sizes, and shapes of the bodies being imaged, to the location and properties of salient features on their surfaces. Specific sample topics covered in Spacecraft Optical Navigation include: History of various past spacecraft, including Mariner and Viking, Voyager, Galileo, NEAR Shoemaker, and Cassini, and flight hardware, star catalogs, and stereophotoclinometry Cameras, covering the gnomonic projection (and deviations from it), creation of a digital picture, picture flattening, and readout smears Modeling optical navigation observables, covering apparent directions to an object, star, and limbs or terminators, and orientation of cameras Obtaining optical navigation observables, covering centerfinding for stars and resolved and unresolved bodies, and using opnav data in orbit determination Spacecraft Optical Navigation is an ideal resource for engineers working in spacecraft navigation and optical navigation, to update their knowledge of the technology and use it in their day-to-day. The text will also benefit researchers working with spacecraft, particularly in navigation, and professors and lecturers teaching graduate aerospace courses.

Optical Payloads for Space Missions is a comprehensive collection of optical spacecraft payloads with contributions by leading international rocket-scientists and instrument builders. Covers various applications, including earth observation, communications, navigation, weather, and science satellites and deep space exploration Each chapter covers one or more specific optical payload Contains a review chapter which provides readers with an overview on the background, current status, trends, and future prospects of the optical payloads Provides information on the principles of the optical spacecraft payloads, missions’ background, motivation and challenges, as well as the scientific returns, benefits and applications

This textbook introduces the theories and practical procedures used in planetary spacecraft navigation. Written by a former member of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) navigation team, it delves into the mathematics behind modern digital navigation programs, as well as the numerous technological resources used by JPL as a key player in the field. In addition, the text offers an analysis of navigation theory application in recent missions, with the goal of showing students the relationship between navigation theory and the real-world orchestration of mission operations.

A quarter century of research into deep space and near Earth optical communications This book captures a quarter century of research and development in deep space optical communications from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). Additionally, it presents findings from other optical communications research groups from around the world for a full perspective. Readers are brought up to date with the latest developments in optical communications technology, as well as the state of the art in component and subsystem technologies, fundamental limitations, and approaches to develop and fully exploit new technologies. The book explores the unique requirements and technologies for deep space optical communications, including: * Technology overview; link and system design drivers * Atmospheric transmission, propagation, and reception issues * Flight and ground terminal architecture and subsystems * Future prospects and applications, including navigational tracking and light science This is the first book to specifically address deep space optical communications. With an increasing demand for data from planetary spacecraft and other sources, it is essential reading for all optical communications, telecommunications, and system engineers, as well as technical managers in the aerospace industry. It is also recommended for graduate students interested in deep space communications.

This proceedings volume contains selected and expanded contributions presented at the 6th International Symposium of Space Optical Instruments and Applications, held in Delft, the Netherlands on Sep 24th–25th, 2019. The meeting was organized by the Sino-Holland Space Optical Instruments Joint Laboratory and supported by TU Delft. The symposium focused on key innovations of space-based optical instruments and applications, and the newest developments in theory, technology and applications in optics, in both China and Europe. It thus provided a platform for exchanges on the latest research and current and planned optical missions. The major topics covered in these conference proceedings are: space optical remote sensing system design; advanced optical system design and manufacturing; remote sensor calibration and measurement; remote sensing data processing and information retrieval; and remote sensing data applications.

Statistical Orbit Determination presents fundmentals of orbit determination--from weighted least squares approaches (Gauss) to today's high-speed computer algorithms that provide accuracy within a few centimeters. Numerous examples and problems are provided to enhance readers' understanding of the material. - Covers such topics as coordinate and time systems, square root filters, process noise techniques, and the use of fictitious parameters for absorbing un-modeled and incorrectly modeled forces acting on a satellite. - Examples and exercises serve to illustrate the principles throughout each chapter.

This book introduces readers to the fundamentals of estimation and dynamical system theory, and their applications in the field of multi-source information fused autonomous navigation for spacecraft. The content is divided into two parts: theory and application. The theory part (Part I) covers the mathematical background of navigation algorithm design, including parameter and state estimate methods, linear fusion, centralized and distributed fusion, observability analysis, Monte Carlo technology, and linear covariance analysis. In turn, the application part (Part II) focuses on autonomous navigation algorithm design for different phases of deep space missions, which involves multiple sensors, such as inertial measurement units, optical image sensors, and pulsar detectors. By concentrating on the relationships between estimation theory and autonomous navigation systems for spacecraft, the book bridges the gap between theory and practice. A wealth of helpful formulas and various types of estimators are also included to help readers grasp basic estimation concepts and offer them a ready-reference guide.

This book gathers selected and expanded contributions presented at the 5th Symposium on Space Optical Instruments and Applications, which was held in Beijing, China, on September 5–7, 2018. This conference series is organized by the Sino-Holland Space Optical Instruments Laboratory, a cooperative platform between China and the Netherlands. The symposium focused on key technological problems regarding optical instruments and their applications in a space context. It covered the latest developments, experiments and results on the theory, instrumentation and applications of space optics. The book is split into five main sections: The first covers optical remote sensing system design, the second focuses on advanced optical system design, and the third addresses remote sensor calibration and measurement. Remote sensing data processing and information extraction are then presented, followed by a final section on remote sensing data applications.

More than 50 years after the Mariner 4 flyby on 15 July 1965, Mars still represents the next frontier of space explorations. Of particular focus nowadays is crewed missions to the red planet. Over three sections, this book explores missions to Mars, in situ operations, and human-rated missions. Chapters address elements of design and possible psychological effects related to human-rated missions. The information contained herein will allow for the development of safe and efficient exploration missions to Mars.

Radiometric Tracking Techniques for Deep-Space Navigation focuses on a broad array of technologies and concepts developed over the last four decades to support radio navigation on interplanetary spacecraft. In addition to an overview of Earth-based radio navigation techniques, the book includes a simplified conceptual presentation of each radiometric measurement type, its information content, and the expected measeurement accuracy. The methods described for both aquiring and calibrating radiometric measurements also provide a robust system to support guidance and navigation for future robotic space exploration.