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Completed TRL 3 (started at 3, targeting 3)
Limb-based shape modeling is an on-going research area. Previous work has shown that limb-based modeling has the potential be conducted on-board a spacecraft (shape model generated using a throttled Raspberry Pi 1 at 70 MHz). The work proposed herein will investigate the expansion of GSFC’s cGIANT (on-board capabilities) limb-based shape model techniques by generalizing the formulation to include irregular shapes (i.e. Comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko). Additionally, exploration into centroid estimation, and the potential for initial pole estimation will be conducted.
This work will help to increase spacecraft autonomy around small bodies by providing the ability to create initial shape models on-board for navigation purposes. Furthermore, this could reduce the overall cost for proximity operations as well as reduce the amount required engineering downlink data.
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