Detection of Two Near-Earth Asteroids with a Southern Hemisphere Planetary Radar System
- Paper number
IAC-17,A3,4B,8,x37605
- Author
Dr. Craig Benson, University of New South Wales ADFA, Australia
- Coauthor
Dr. Nicholas Stacy, DST Group, Australia
- Coauthor
Dr. Lance Benner, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, United States
- Coauthor
Dr. Ed Kruzins, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Centre, Australia
- Coauthor
Dr. Philip Edwards, CSIRO Australia Telescope National Facility, Australia
- Coauthor
Prof. Russell Boyce, University of New South Wales ADFA, Australia
- Coauthor
Dr. Joseph Lazio, Jet Propulsion Laboratory - California Institute of Technology, United States
- Year
2017
- Abstract
We describe an initial demonstration of a southern hemisphere planetary radar system to detect two near-Earth asteroids (NEAs). Radar observations of NEAs are motivated by three considerations. First, asteroids represent primitive remnants of the early solar system and characterization of their properties can provide insights into their evolution and parent population(s); second, they represent targets for spacecraft, both robotic and crewed; and, third, precise knowledge of their orbits is essential to assess the extent to which they might represent impact hazards to the Earth. There is a well-developed planetary radar system in the northern hemisphere, but NEAs that approach from the south are limited in the extent to which they can be tracked. In our initial demonstration, we made use of a 2.1~GHz transmitter at the 70~m antenna of the Canberra Deep Space Communications Complex and multiple receivers at the Parkes Radio Telescope and the Australia Telescope Compact Array. This initial system was used to detect the NEAs 2005~UL5 and 1998~WT24. We describe the performance of the system and consider future possibilities using other antennas of the Canberra Deep Space Communications Complex as transmitters. The Australia Telescope Compact Array and the Parkes radio telescope are part of the Australia Telescope National Facility which is funded by the Australian Government for operation as a National Facility managed by \hbox{CSIRO}. Part of this research was carried out at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, under a contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.- Abstract document
- Manuscript document
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