Autonomous asteroid imaging, identification, and orbit determination with commercial camera systems

Our research group is actively carrying out feasibility studies on the use of commercial digital cameras for the purpose of autonomous optical navigation of a solar sail-propelled small satellite (SmallSat) to the Martian system. Such miniaturization technologies have already been tested with remarkable success in Low Earth Orbit and even at Mars itself. In the case of our SmallSat, the design of any subsystem is severely constrained, among others, by the overall spacecraft and sail geometries, the space available within the launcher fairing, and the very low thrust derived solely from solar radiation pressure. These strict requirements motivate our search for imaging solutions capable to deliver the greatest accuracy for the smallest mass and volume penalties. As part of this continuing effort, we shall present new data on quantitative comparisons among the calibration frame characteristics of mobile phone cameras and DSLR cameras, including our recently acquired Canon 6D Mark II. In particular, we shall discuss the impact of the statistics of such calibrations on star registration, digital asteroid identification, and centroid measurement. As part of our plan to test, and later to deploy, a fully self-contained navigation system onboard the vehicle, we shall provide a status report on our transition to a data pipeline and workflow under the Linux operating system. Finally, in order to provide figures of merit for the performance of each imaging subsystem, we shall report on the determination of the orbital elements and corresponding uncertainties of a few test beacon asteroids successfully detected.