Inertia Parameter Identification of Non-Cooperative Targets via Motion Estimation

In space missions, particularly in on-orbit servicing (OOS) missions, many tasks involve non-cooperative targets. To ensure the safety and precision of such missions, complete identification of the target’s inertia parameters is essential. This paper proposes a novel method for identifying the inertia parameters of a non-cooperative target, introducing an innovative approach to position and velocity estimation based on a time-of-flight (TOF) camera. The paper first describes the physical configuration of the system, followed by the overall identification process of the target. Subsequently, all inertia parameters are reviewed, and the associated data processing procedures are presented. The (angular) momentum of both the satellite and the manipulator is calculated to make preparations for subsequent identification steps. The motion parameters of the target are estimated using the Kalman filter (KF) and extended Kalman filter (EKF), with newly designed models for position and velocity. Furthermore, a novel full-parameter identification method is proposed, building upon the preceding motion estimation process. Simulations show that the identification errors of all inertia parameters are less than 0.3%, which validates the correctness and effectiveness of the proposed methods.