Space Object Attitude Determination from Multispectral Light Curves

Light curves have been used to estimate various attributes of space objects, including the object's attitude. Due to the diversity of surface materials that compose a spacecraft, multispectral light curves have the potential to contribute more information about the attitude than monochromatic light curves, thereby increasing the observability and decreasing estimate uncertainties. However, multispectral measurements of a light curve inherently result in lower signal-too-noise ratios, which decrease the available information. A multispectral bidirectional reflectance distribution function is described and multispectral light curves are simulated for a space object. The observability of attitude is assessed for the two multispectral cases and compared to the monochromatic case. It is found that the multispectral cases typically contribute less information than monochromatic light curves, limiting their effectiveness in determining attitude from light curves.