The primary goal of the Phase I effort is to develop an algorithm and determine its feasibility, for Kwajalein Radars, to estimate and correct for drag acceleration on reentry objects. In developing the design an evaluation of both KMR radar tracking performance and reentry object trajectories will be performed to determine the performance requirements of the drag estimation and correction algorithm. Using these requirements an algorithm will be designed that recursively estimates the aerodynamic characteristics for an object and then uses this information to predict the location of the object at the next update. This design will be analyzed to determine its performance on specific KMR Radars (ALCOR, MMW, FPQ-19). The result of Phase I will indicate the effectiveness of the algorithm and its applicability to KMR (and other test range) tracking needs. Phase II will validate the algorithm using simulation and real KMR data and then deliver the algorithm. Phase II will also include an assessment of the commercial applications for the tracking filter.
