Comparison of Autonomous Orbit Determination for Satellite Pairs in Lunar Halo and Distant Retrograde Orbits

Abstract

<h3>Summary</h3> A comprehensive study on the autonomous orbit determination (AOD) performance of satellite pairs in halo orbits and distant retrograde orbits (DROs) is carried out. A factor called <i>dynamic and geometric dilution of precision</i> (DAGDOP) is proposed to simultaneously incorporate influences from the dynamics and geometry of satellite pairs. Based on the DAGDOP, the effect of different observation arcs on the AOD accuracy is investigated. Next, the AOD accuracy of three different types of satellite pairs—halo+halo, DRO+DRO, and halo+DRO—is systematically analyzed. The hybrid halo+DRO type shows the best overall accuracy. Finally, the AOD performance of the hybrid type is verified in a realistic model. Our studies find that the average AOD accuracy of the halo orbit is about 170 meters, and that of the DRO is about 190 meters. The relative time synchronization error of two satellites is less than 30 nanoseconds.