On the Orbit Determination Problem

Various important aspects of the satellite orbit determination problem are critically discussed with a view to emphasizing the importance of a wise choice of suitable system models, coordinates sets, and estimators. We describe several aspects of the orbit determination process and also review much of the available literature on the application of Kalman-filter type algorithms to the problem of near-Earth, geosynchronous, and deep-space mission type orbit determination. Some features of on-board orbit determination are also addressed. It is believed that this review with a touch of tutorial will enable engineers and scientists to arrive at an orbit determination methodology (ODM) that will have attributes of good numerical stability, efficiency, and precision in orbit estimation.