Simulation and Analysis of Multi-Observer Star Tracker Telemetry for Enhanced Tracking of Space Debris and Resident Space Objects

<p>This thesis presents a MATLAB-based simulation framework for improving the tracking and orbit estimation of space debris and Resident Space Objects (RSOs) using multi-observer star tracker telemetry. By employing multiple satellites equipped with star trackers, the simulation investigates how combining simultaneous observations can enhance the precision of orbital state estimation, particularly for uncooperative targets. The system integrates real-world Two-Line Element (TLE) data and utilizes the SGP4 orbit propagation model to simulate orbital trajectories and visibility conditions between observer and target satellites. Key components of the simulation include coordinate transformation using Direction Cosine Matrices (DCMs), real-time TLE parsing, Gaussian noise modeling, and position triangulation through pseudoinverse operations. The output includes visibility windows, relative position estimates, error trends, and the derivation of Keplerian orbital elements from observed data, which are formatted into new TLEs. The evaluation demonstrates that the dual-observer configuration can achieve accurate position estimations with normalized error levels as low as 16% under favorable geometric conditions. The angular error, although consistently centered around 1.54 radians, highlights the geometric limitations inherent in collinear line-of-sight scenarios. The study confirms that wider observational baselines, filtering techniques, and additional observers can significantly enhance accuracy. Ultimately, this research advocates for a more collaborative approach to satellite tracking, offering a promising methodology for improving space situational</p> <p>awareness (SSA) and collision avoidance in increasingly crowded orbital environments.</p>