Orbit Estimation Technology for the Initial Phases of a Nanosatellite Mission

The paper presents the results of utilizing technology for the initial mission phases of the second nanosatellite of the Belarusian State University, CubeBel-2, launched on June 27, 2023. The considered orbit estimation technology enabled the creation of a schedule and the execution of radio communication sessions with the nanosatellite CubeBel-2 for the Belarusian State University ground stations and the international amateur radio network SatNOGS within the first 24 hours of the mission. These algorithms also facilitated the identification of CubeBel-2 in a group launch involving over 40 satellites, even in the absence of NORAD data. By using the method of orbit determination based on Doppler measurements using a circular motion model and statistical analysis of the success frequency of reception parameters, the orbital parameters of the nanosatellite CubeBel-2 were adjusted on the second day of the mission. This adjustment allowed successful communication sessions with the satellite for the first ten days of the mission, until July 7th (the first publication of CubeBel-2 orbital parameters in TLE format in the NORAD database).