Estimating Shape and Micro-Motion Parameter of Rotationally Symmetric Space Objects from the Infrared Signature.

Area of Science:

• Aerospace Engineering
• Signal Processing
• Object Recognition

Background:

• Shape is a crucial feature for space target classification, complementing existing methods.
• Projection functions, derived from object shapes, can serve as effective shape features.
• Estimating projection functions from infrared signatures is essential for accurate classification.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a method for estimating projection functions from infrared signatures.
• To represent projection functions as linear combinations of base functions for rotationally symmetric objects.
• To jointly estimate projection functions and micro-motion parameters using a novel signal model.

Main Methods:

• Constructing a signal model for the emissivity-area product sequence based on linear coefficients and micro-motion parameters.
• Proposing a least squares estimator for joint estimation of projection functions and micro-motion parameters.
• Utilizing infrared signatures as input for the estimation process.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated that projection functions of rotationally symmetric objects can be approximated by linear combinations of base functions.
• Successfully developed a method to estimate projection functions and micro-motion parameters simultaneously.
• Experimental validation confirmed the effectiveness of the proposed joint estimation technique.

Conclusions:

• The proposed method effectively estimates projection functions from infrared signatures, providing valuable shape information for space target classification.
• Joint estimation of projection functions and micro-motion parameters enhances the accuracy and robustness of space target identification.
• This research contributes a novel approach to leveraging infrared data for advanced object recognition in space.