Uncertainty Propagation for Space Situational Awareness
Abstract
This short course will present the fundamentals of Uncertainty Propagation (UP) through the lens of SSA to help attendees understand the implications of how uncertainty may be represented and correctly propagated. Accurate UP is a fundamental driver for timely and accurate SSA. Broadly, UP is the science of quantifying, reducing, and understanding sensitivity to uncertainty and how they map through our computer simulations/models and algorithms. Propagated uncertainty can determine how we interpret knowledge extracted from data and computer simulations, what potential data may help to reduce uncertainty, and ultimately influences operator decisions. The primary goal of this course is to introduce attendees to the fundamental principles and methods of uncertainty propagation, which they may use in their work and research after this course.
Topics will include definitions of key components of UP, sources of uncertainty in simulations, an overview of existing tools for uncertainty prediction through computer models, and various methods of analyzing sensitivity to sources of uncertainty. Concepts will be illustrated through SSA-centric applications such as orbit uncertainty propagation. Finally, attendees will be introduced to the latest areas of research in UP, including multi-fidelity methods.
This course is intended for those looking to improve their understanding on how to propagate uncertainty beyond the traditional methods based on linearization. While anyone working with uncertainty will benefit from this course, it will be especially useful to those using or implementing software tools for simulation and data analysis. Attendees familiar with basic probability and statistics will have the foundation necessary for this short course.
Program
8:00 – 8:50 | Registration at Table on the Terrace, Lot Fourteen
8:50 – 9:00 | Walk to Lecture Theatre
9:00 – 10:30 | Uncertainty Propagation for Space Situational Awareness Session 1
10:30 - 11:30 | Coffee break
11:00 – 13:00 | Uncertainty Propagation for Space Situational Awareness Session 2
Date
Thursday 19 March 2026 8:00 AM - 1:00 PM (UTC+10:30)Location
Lecture Theatre, Ground Floor
TechCentral, Lot Fourteen, North Terrace, Adelaide SA 5000
Speaker
Associate Professor Brandon Jones, (Website)
The University of Texas at Austin (UT)
Dr. Jones conducts research on innovative approaches to enhance space situational awareness and satellite navigation across diverse orbit regimes, including near-Earth, cislunar and beyond. This research is accomplished through the integration of novel methodologies and algorithms at the intersection of astrodynamics, uncertainty quantification and information fusion. Jones is also the director of the Texas Spacecraft Laboratory and leads a team of students designing and implementing CubeSat-based guidance, navigation and control technology demonstration missions.
Jones joined UT in the spring of 2016. Before moving to UT Austin, he was a research assistant professor at the University of Colorado Boulder, where he also received his Ph.D. He has been a contractor at the NASA Johnson Space Center and received undergraduate degrees in mathematics and physics from UT. Jones is an associate fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) and an associate editor of the Journal of the Astronautical Sciences and IEEE Transactions in Aerospace and Electronic Systems.
Tickets
| Ticket | Price |
| General | AUD 50 |
| IEEE Member | AUD 30 |
| Student | AUD 30 |
Group discount available for more information please contact the organisers.