3D Reconstruction of Small Solar System Bodies using Rendered and Compressed Images

Synthetic image generation and reconstruction of Small Solar System Bodies and the influence of compression is becoming an important study topic because of the advent of small spacecraft in deep space missions. Most of these missions are fly-by scenarios, for example in the Comet Interceptor mission. Due to limited data budgets of small satellite missions, maximising scientific return requires investigating effects of lossy compression. A preliminary simulation pipeline had been developed that uses physics-based rendering in combination with procedural terrain generation to overcome limitations of currently used methods for image rendering like the Hapke model. The rendered Small Solar System Body images are combined with a star background and photometrically calibrated to represent realistic imagery. Subsequently, a Structure-from-Motion pipeline reconstructs three-dimensional models from the rendered images. In this work, the preliminary simulation pipeline was developed further into the Space Imaging Simulator for Proximity Operations software package and a compression package was added. The compression package was used to investigate effects of lossy compression on reconstructed models and the possible amount of data reduction of lossy compression to lossless compression. Several scenarios with varying fly-by distances ranging from 50 km to 400 km and body sizes of 1 km and 10 km were simulated and compressed with lossless and several quality levels of lossy compression using PNG and JPEG 2000 respectively. It was found that low compression ratios introduce artefacts resembling random noise while high compression ratios remove surface features. The random noise artefacts introduced by low compression ratios frequently increased the number of vertices and faces of the reconstructed three-dimensional model

Real-Time Hardware-in-the-Loop Test Configuration: Use Case for the Fine Guidance System of PLATO

The presentation describes a real-time hardware in the loop test configuration with payload hardware units and simulators, used for the verification and validation of the Fine Guidance System of the PLATO mission. The presentation covers the motivation behind a combination of real and emulated hardware, a description of the PLATO mission and its Fine Guidance System, the test configuration, the related timing expected during tests and tools for test automation. Morover, a solution for a data archiving tool is provided

3D Reconstruction of Small SolarSystem Bodies using Rendered and Compressed Images

Synthetic image generation and reconstruction of Small Solar System Bodies and theinfluence of compression is becoming an important study topic because of the adventof small spacecraft in deep space missions. Most of these missions are fly-by scenarios,for example in the Comet Interceptor mission. Due to limited data budgets of smallsatellite missions, maximising scientific return requires investigating effects of lossycompression. A preliminary simulation pipeline had been developed that uses physicsbasedrendering in combination with procedural terrain generation to overcomelimitations of currently used methods for image rendering like the Hapke model. Therendered Small Solar System Body images are combined with a star background andphotometrically calibrated to represent realistic imagery. Subsequently, a Structurefrom-Motion pipeline reconstructs three-dimensional models from the rendered images.In this work, the preliminary simulation pipeline was developed further into the SpaceImaging Simulator for Proximity Operations software package and a compressionpackage was added. The compression package was used to investigate effects of lossycompression on reconstructed models and the possible amount of data reductionof lossy compression to lossless compression. Several scenarios with varying fly-bydistances ranging from 50 km to 400 km and body sizes of 1 km and 10 km weresimulated and compressed with lossless and several quality levels of lossy compressionusing PNG and JPEG 2000 respectively. It was found that low compression ratiosintroduce artefacts resembling random noise while high compression ratios removesurface features. The random noise artefacts introduced by low compression ratiosfrequently increased the number of vertices and faces of the reconstructed threedimensionalmodel

SISPO: Space Imaging Simulator for Proximity Operations

Publisher Copyright: © 2022 Public Library of Science. All rights reserved.This paper describes the architecture and demonstrates the capabilities of a newly developed, physically-based imaging simulator environment called SISPO, developed for small solar system body fly-by and terrestrial planet surface mission simulations. The image simulator utilises the open-source 3-D visualisation system Blender and its Cycles rendering engine, which supports physically based rendering capabilities and procedural micropolygon displacement texture generation. The simulator concentrates on realistic surface rendering and has supplementary models to produce realistic dust- and gas-environment optical models for comets and active asteroids. The framework also includes tools to simulate the most common image aberrations, such as tangential and sagittal astigmatism, internal and external comatic aberration, and simple geometric distortions. The model framework’s primary objective is to support small-body space mission design by allowing better simulations for characterisation of imaging instrument performance, assisting mission planning, and developing computer-vision algorithms. SISPO allows the simulation of trajectories, light parameters and camera’s intrinsic parameters.Peer reviewe