A mathematical model for combining data from a telescope with the information about the orbital debris environment that is contained in two line element set files

This paper presents an optimal framework for combining information contained in two line element (TLE) files with sensor measurement data to estimate the orbital debris environment. This method can be applied to radar as well as optical data. Results from applying this method to data from the NASA liquid mirror telescope demonstrate an improvement in accuracy and a marked reduction in uncertainty in estimates of the orbital debris environment.