A simplex method for the orbit determination of maneuvering satellites

A simplex method of orbit determination （SMOD） is presented to solve the problem of orbit determination for maneuvering satellites subject to small and continuous thrust. The objective function is established as the sum of the nth powers of the observation errors based on global positioning satellite （GPS） data. The convergence behavior of the proposed method is analyzed using a range of initial orbital parameter errors and n values to ensure the rapid and accurate convergence of the SMOD. For an uncontrolled satellite, the orbit obtained by the SMOD provides a position error compared with GPS data that is commensurate with that obtained by the least squares technique. For low Earth orbit satellite control, the precision of the acceleration produced by a small pulse thrust is less than 0.1% compared with the calibrated value. The orbit obtained by the SMOD is also compared with weak GPS data for a geostationary Earth orbit satellite over several days. The results show that the position accuracy is within 12.0 m. The working efficiency of the electric propulsion is about 67% compared with the designed value. The analyses provide the guidance for subsequent satellite control. The method is suitable for orbit determination of maneuvering satellites subject to small and continuous thrust.