  The precise knowledge of the positions of space debris objects and in
particular of defunct satellites is fundamental for satellite operations.
Several studies showed that it is possible to improve the accuracy of the orbit
determination results by fusing different types of observables, i.e. classical
astrometric positions and range measurements. Particularly promising in the
space debris field are the ranges provided by a satellite laser ranging system.
The factors that limit the applicability of the satellite laser ranging (SLR)
techniques are the altitude of the target, the accuracy of the predicted
ephemeris of the target, the energy of the laser pulse, and the laser field of
view. In this paper we will show a way to overcome the mentioned challenges by
using a night-tracking camera for the real time correction of the pointing of
the SLR system (active tracking), and for the simultaneous acquisition of
measurements used to improve the orbits and to study the attitude of the
target. After presenting the basic functionalities, the performance of the
night-tracking camera, and the procedure to acquire the measurements, we will
also show the potential of this tool to allow improving orbits in real-time.
This study is carried out for defunct or recently decommissioned satellites.
Only real angular/laser measurements provided by the sensors of the Swiss
Optical Ground Station and Geodynamics Observatory Zimmerwald (SwissOGS) owned
by the Astronomical Institute of the University of Bern (AIUB) are used.
