Real-Time Shipboard Orbit Determination Using Kalman Filtering Techniques

The real-time tracking and orbit determination program used on board the NASA tracking ship, the USNS Vanguard, is described in this paper. The computer program uses a variety of filtering algorithms, including an extended Kalman filter, to derive real-time orbit determinations (position-velocity state vectors) from shipboard tracking and navigation data. Results from Appolo missions are given to show that orbital parameters can be estimated quickly and accurately using these methods.