Develop a Module to Help Decision Making for Space Collision Avoidance Maneuvers
More than 7000 operational satellites are orbiting around the Earth at multiple kilometers per second. 3000 more are uncontrolled alongside a multitude of objects (debris) representing collision threats. To mitigate such a situation and the potential deterioration of the satellites as well as the creation of new debris, the orbits of each object are tracked. Warnings are launched when a potential conjunction between them is identified. It is the responsibility of the operators to make a maneuver to reduce the probability of a collision. However, the propulsion capacities of each satellite are different and there is no coordination between actors to suggest the best solution.
Objectives
The goals of this project are to visualize and support the decision-making for collision avoidance maneuvers. For each collision identification, the different maneuvers should be analyzed with respect to the different propulsion capacities of the identified satellites. The different solutions with detailed maneuvers should then be proposed with visualization for decision-making.
Required skills
For the good realization of the project, it is recommended that the student have:
• General understanding of the orbital dynamics
• Programming skills in Java or python
• Ability to appraise and adapt the project to fulfill the needs of the Space Domain operation team
• A sense of responsibility to provide the work quality to be used for everyday applications
Place of work
The student will have the opportunity to work in a stimulating environment with other students in different locations (Lausanne, Bern, Zurich) in Switzerland depending on the needs of the projects.