So we can determine the orbit using only line of sight measurements of the object relative to the Earth. This is a problem originally solved by Gauss for Ceres

So we can determine the orbit using only line of sight measurements of the object relative to the Earth. This is a problem originally solved by Gauss for Ceres. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gauss%27s_method https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gauss%27s_method More generally given sufficient observations one can use many similar methods of orbit determination to get a relatively accurate orbit of the body. All of this is standard stuff in astrodynamics and happens on a near constant basis for both man made and natural objects. A good introduction is the classic BMW https://www.amazon.com/Fundamentals-Astrodynamics-Dover-Aeronautical-Engineering/dp/0486600610 https://www.amazon.com/Fundamentals-Astrodynamics-Dover-Aero... None of this requires the shape or material of the object, just some fuzzy measurements of the position