Autonomous Space Traffic Management

Abstract

The near-Earth space environment is getting more and more crowded, and this growth in satellite numbers is not expected to slow down. Forecasts report an average of over 3700 satellites to be launched annually. Due to this ever-increasing number of objects in Low-Earth Orbit (LEO), there is a need to improve the accuracy of the positional estimates of spacecraft to better predict close approaches and avoid collisions between operational spacecraft and space debris alike. However, current technologies do not allow global Space Situational Awareness (SSA). This report concerns the design of a small, lightweight, power-efficient and low-cost standardized payload for space traffic management based on a snapshot Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receiver. This standardized payload could then be easily integrated in virtually any LEO spacecraft and provide accurate position fixes for it. This gathered position data would then also enable the improvement of upper atmospheric density models, increasing the precision of LEO object orbit propagation and supporting SSA. From this the team developed the following mission statement: "Design a standardized payload for space traffic management, based on a snapshot GNSS receiver, and an associated technology demonstration mission and satellite to validate this payload." At the core of the standardized payload is a snapshot GNSS receiver, capable of acquiring position data through millisecond-scale signal captures of GNSS signals. This mode of operation enables intermittent, ultra-low power consumption, making it suitable even for power-constrained platforms such as CubeSats or PocketQubes.