Satellite position calibration in distributed spacecraft system by multi-dimensional scaling

Distributed spacecraft systems implement enormous new functions by augmenting multiple spacecrafts as unified. That demands the precise positioning information about each satellite nodes in the distributed spacecraft system. To achieve the position calibration, multidimensional scaling is introduced. MDS computes a 3-dimensional map of each satellite nodes from the distance information in the system. Based on the 3-dimensional map and locations of some anchor satellite nodes, the absolute positions of satellite nodes in the system can be calibrated. Simulation shows that this method shall provide a higher positioning accuracy for orbit control in the distributed spacecraft system without the help of GPS and other GPS-like equipments and it is also well envisioned and easily accessible to engineering.