Improvement of a Space Surveillance and Tracking Analysis tool

Abstract: This thesis deals with the improvement of SPOOK (SPace Objects Observation and Kalmanltering), an orbit calculation tool developed by Airbus Defence and Space GmbH. The workdescribed in this thesis aims at improving the architecture and analysis capabilities of thesoftware on dierent levels: Design and build a framework that can use SPOOK as a calculation engine and use itscapabilities to build a complete SST system for man-made objects orbiting the Earth,providing commercial services (e.g. collision avoidance, visualization, re-entry analysis,etc.), catalog maintenance and simulations. A complete Python API was designed andimplemented, which makes now SPOOK a complete cataloguing system for man-madespace objects that can provide services to the end user; Estimate covariance information from TLE data published by the US Space Command(available e.g. on Space-track.org); Devise and validate metrics that can assess the quality of an orbit determination processautomatically, to ensure as small human interaction as possible; Preliminarily implement a fast Lambert problem solver.In addition to this, a variety of miscellaneous activities were performed.