Performance of a proposed instrument for space-based optical observations of space debris
- Paper number
IAC-06-B6.1.01
- Author
Mr. Tim Flohrer, Astronomical Institute University of Bern (AIUB), Switzerland
- Coauthor
Dr. Thomas Schildknecht, Astronomical Institute University of Bern (AIUB), Switzerland
- Coauthor
Mr. Rudiger Jehn, European Space Agency/ESOC, Germany
- Coauthor
Ms. Edith Stöveken, Astronomical Institute University of Bern (AIUB), Switzerland
- Coauthor
Mr. Michael Oswald, Institute of Aerospace Systems, Germany
- Year
2006
- Abstract
In order to investigate means that would allow closing the knowledge gap for small-sized space debris objects, the European Space Agency (ESA) initiated a study entitled "Space-Based Optical Observation of Space Debris" in 2003. The study defined user requirements, developed an observation strategy for a space-based instrument capable of observing uncatalogued small-sized debris objects, and finally presented an instrument architecture and an operations concept for the passive optical observation of space debris objects in Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) and Geostationary Orbit (GEO). The object detection (reference stars and debris object) will be carried out on-board, while the astrometric reduction, orbit determination and size estimation are part of the on-ground processing. With the proposed instrument, which combines a 20 cm aperture folded Schmidt telescope, a four megapixel, fast read-out camera using either a frame-transfer charge coupled device (CCD) or an Hybrid Visible Silicon Imager (HyViSI) sensor, the determination of the orbit orientation for centimetre-sized debris is possible from a single observed field-of-view (FOV) crossing event.
This paper focuses on the estimation of the system performance of that proposed instrument. In a first step we discuss the observable objects using a statistical reference population from ESA’s MASTER model with the help of the observation-forecasting tool PROOF. Using the characteristics of objects crossing the FOV, we discuss in detail the main parameters that limit the possibility of detection of objects. The results of that discussion form the interface to the next step of the performance discussion, the analysis of the proposed object detection algorithm that is supposed to be executed on-board. Finally, in the last performance simulation step, the orbit determination of the detectable space debris population is evaluated.
It was found that about 200 objects/24 h in the LEO, and up to 6 objects/24 h in the GEO could be observed as those objects cross the FOV and show a SNR above the empirically found threshold of the detection algorithm. This threshold limits the detection to objects brighter than about 10.5 mag in LEO and 16 mag in GEO (best cases). The orbit determination is successful (the inclination and the right ascension of the ascending node are determined better than 2 deg compared to the input value from PROOF) for up to 75% of the observations in GEO, while in LEO, orbits have to be determined assuming circular orbits.
We conclude that the proposed instrument would allow improving the knowledge of the uncatalogued small-sized space debris in LEO and GEO by using a relatively simple and straightforward instrument design and processing strategy. Further developments in object detection algorithm, processing algorithms and orbit determination approaches seem to be possible and are needed to increase the performance.
- Abstract document
- Manuscript document
IAC-06-B6.1.01.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).
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