A European approach to Space Situational Awareness
- Paper number
IAC-07-E3.2.08
- Author
Mr. Luca del Monte, European Space Agency/Headquarters, France
- Year
2007
- Abstract
Space assets and space based services have become indispensable enablers for a wide spectrum of applications invaluable for many areas of the European economy and policies. But too much reliance on space- based assets could induce new vulnerabilities. Measures as space situational awareness should be envisaged to identify, prevent or at least limit the involved risks. Specifically, Space Situational Awareness (SSA) means knowing the location and function of every relevant object orbiting the Earth-active or inactive-regardless of size, purpose, and mission, including elements of space weather. SSA also means having a good understanding of what ground threat can be exercised against the space asset and how to detect its usage. By providing in a timely fashion location and status of spacecrafts, it is a tool for monitoring and improving their operation. At the same time, it helps to protect European space assets and operations by providing warnings of potential hazards-natural or manmade, intentional or unintentional-timely enough to allow preventive and eventual corrective actions. Moreover, a comprehensive SSA enhances the capability to verify the application of international treaties in outer space, the implementation of confidence building measures, the efficient verification of a "code of conduct" and the competence to participate in the strategic evaluation of technological and operational capabilities of other countries/organisations. A European capability that could provide this spectrum of information does not exist. Currently available – so-called – space surveillance systems allow for detecting, tracking and cataloguing of a certain percentage of space objects. Most of the data used today are provided by the USAF in accordance with U.S. policies. The establishment of SSA can only be justified on European level. It needs to be a user driven application benefiting public authorities, decision makers and industry. It should be structured in a way that common European capabilities offer an added value to the nationally provided capabilities. Despite a generally agreed need for space situational awareness, no harmonised and comprehensive requirement list has been developed to date. In order to respond to these issues, ESA has initiated an activity to define the European needs for a Space Situational Awareness Architecture as a first step towards its realisation. This paper discusses the first indications and the high level architectural solutions that have been developed in the framework of the ESA study following and supporting the development of above mentioned requirements. Such activities are elements of a Preparatory Action to prepare a convincing programme proposal which could serve as basis for a decision by the next ESA Council on Ministerial level that will include the coordinated exploitation of existing assets, the deployment of new assets and the deployment of precursors aimed at technology demonstration.
- Abstract document
- Manuscript document
IAC-07-E3.2.08.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).
To get the manuscript, please contact IAF Secretariat.