Goddard Engineering and Technology Directorate

IceCube Identification and Recovery Solutions

Artists rendition of IceCube satellite.
Artists rendition of IceCube satellite.

When IceCube was deployed from the International Space Station (ISS), spacecraft operators were initially unable to communicate with the satellite. FDF analysts implemented a new technique to generate higher-accuracy solutions using only low-accuracy Two-Line Elements (TLEs). By pre-processing TLEs, FDF analysts generated more accurate definitive and predictive orbital state solutions, allowing for a timely recovery of the IceCube mission.