US 12,441,488 B2
Auxiliary data for controlling a satellite
Melina Koukou, Espoo (FI); and Abhishek Agrawal, Espoo (FI)
Assigned to ICEYE OY, Espoo (FI)
Appl. No. 18/859,796
Filed by ICEYE OY, Espoo (FI)
PCT Filed Apr. 25, 2023, PCT No. PCT/EP2023/060826
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Oct. 24, 2024,
PCT Pub. No. WO2023/208943, PCT Pub. Date Nov. 2, 2023.
Claims priority of application No. 2206232 (GB), filed on Apr. 28, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2025/0115374 A1, Apr. 10, 2025
Int. Cl. B64G 1/24 (2006.01); G01S 19/39 (2010.01)
CPC B64G 1/242 (2013.01) [B64G 1/245 (2023.08); G01S 19/393 (2019.08)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of generating auxiliary data for controlling a satellite travelling in orbit around Earth, the method comprising:
receiving tracking data for the satellite;
applying an orbit determination algorithm including:
estimating an orbit for the satellite based on the tracking data, and predicting, based on the estimated orbit, future ephemerides data of the satellite;
generating auxiliary data comprising predicted future ephemerides data;
transmitting the auxiliary data to the satellite for use in control of an attitude and an orbit of the satellite; and
determining a current position of the satellite based on the predicted future ephemerides data comprised in the auxiliary data when GNSS or GPS sensor data on board the satellite is not available or not reliable, and using the current position to control the satellite's attitude and orbit,
wherein at least the applying the orbit determination algorithm and the generating the auxiliary data are performed ground-based.