Abstract:

Observability analysis is the basis and prime task in a passive location and tracking system. The observability analysis of bearings-only passive location for a satellite target is a complicated problem,for the system motion equation of the satellite is an implicit function of system state and the observation equations are nonlinear. In this article, the nonlinear equations of the bearings-only spaceborne single observer passive location system are pseudolinearized, and the system motion equation is transformed to an explicit function of system state, and then the observability for a satellite target within this system is analyzed. This may lay the theoretic foundation for further research on satellite target orbit determination and tracking. Finally, a simulation instance is presented and its results are consistent with those concluded from theoretic analysis, indicating that the method is correct and valid.

Key words: satellite orbit determination, passive location, observability analysis, single observer, bearings-only