APEX (Advanced Propulsion Experiment)

Precise orbit determination to verify the performance of the Multi-Mode Ionic Monopropellant thruster payload.

Current research for the Advanced Propulsion Experiment (APEX) at Missouri University of Science and Technology is focused on precise orbit and parameter determination to verify the performance of the Multi-Mode Ionic Monopropellant thruster payload.

A batch filter to process dual-frequency GPS pseudoranges using the International GNSS Service precise position, clock, and phase center data products was developed. The filter estimates the dynamic states of the vehicle in conjunction with the coefficients of drag and solar radiation pressure, a constant average thrust magnitude, and the time biases of the GNSS receiver clock at each measurement epoch. Furthermore, it considers uncertainty in the vehicle attitude and mass measurement.