LiDAR-Based navigation strategies for a non-cooperative target considering rendezvous trajectory

The grave danger posed by space debris is attracting increasing attention, and many countries are actively researching active debris removal (ADR). One of the most important challenges to an ADR mission is the need for a highly accurate, robust navigation technology for docking with non-cooperative targets. This paper proposes a LiDAR-based navigation system, in particular a point cloud processing architecture that is robust against point cloud outliers that may occur in real environments. This study selected the upper stage of an H2A rocket as an example for ADR target. The proposed method addresses technical issues specific to ADR missions, such as point cloud loss at the target’s mirror surface and LiDAR’s Field of View (FOV) limitations. The results of dynamic and static measurement testing using actual hardware showed that the proposed method is capable of stable estimation in close proximity operation.