Can Uncertainty Propagation Solve The Mysterious Case of Snoopy ?

Abstract

Both the number of man-made objects in space and human ambitions have been growing for the last few decades. This trend causes multiple issues, such as an increasing collision probability, or the necessity to control the space system with high precision. Thus, the need to perform an accurate estimation of the position and velocity of a spacecraft. This article aims at using Taylor Differential Algebra (TDA), an uncertainty propagation method, by implementing an ephemeris propagation tool designed to propagate long term trajectories. It will be used in the case study of Snoopy, the lost lunar module of mission Apollo 10, to explore new scenarios thanks to Monte-Carlo estimations, performed on the data gathered by this propagator.