Some aerospace applications of estimation theory

In this report, the application of estimation theory to three problems from aerospace research is described. The applications considered deal with spacecraft attitude estimation, software reliability modelling and estimation, and with a satellite-based navigation algorithm. Maximum likelihood estimation is used in the software reliability case...

A positioning system based on NAVSAT

A worldwide navigation system called NAVSAT is discussed. This positioning system is based on satellites which broadcast information which can be used by receivers of this Information to estimate their position. The motion of the users is modelled by splines. The estimation procedure is based on the extended Kalman filter approach.

On martingales and recursive optimal state estimation

This report constitutes the deposit of a study of literature on martingales and estimation theory. Some experimental work concerning the efficiency of an estimation algorithm based on martingales is also described. The investigation has been guided by the intent to investigate martingales in relation to the Kalman and Kalman-Bucy filters and to...

Processing of Meteosat attitude measurement flight data and evaluation of the performance of an adaptive filtering technique

The attitude measurement data of the ESA geosynchronous spacecraft METEOSAT have been analyzed using an adaptive recursive filtering technique developed at NLR. The mathematical models of spacecraft dynamics and sensors have been kept very simple. Modelling errors are such that, without adaptive feed-back, strong divergence of the filtering...