An innovative inertial parameters identification method for non-cooperative space targets based on electrostatic interaction

Inertial characteristics of non-cooperative targets are crucial for space capture and subsequent on-orbit servicing. Previous methods for identifying inertial parameters involve proximity operations, which are associated with the risk of collision with non-cooperative targets. This paper introduces a long-range, contactless method for identifying the inertial parameters of a non-cooperative target during the pre-capture phase. Specifically, electrostatic interaction is used as an external excitation to alter the target’s motion. A force estimation algorithm that uses measurements from visual and potential sensors is proposed to estimate the electrostatic interaction and eliminate the need for force sensors. Furthermore, a recursive estimation–identification framework is presented to concurrently estimate the coupled motion state, weak electrostatic interaction, and inertial parameters of the target. The simulation results show that the proposed method extends the identification distance to 170 times that of the previous method while maintaining high identification precision for all parameters.