Roberta M. Ewart, US Space Force, SSC; Elozor Plotke, LinQuest Corporation; Peter Lai, LinQuest Corporation
Keywords: Pole-Sitter, Space Domain Awareness, South Pole, North Pole, satellite, spacecraft, space telescope, cislunar
Abstract:
Modern space missions are increasingly venturing across cislunar space, requiring expansion of space awareness functions. Legacy Space Domain Awareness (SDA) systems were not originally built to detect and track cislunar objects, and this could require acquisition of new sensor systems. There are numerous parameters, including sensing type, altitude, and number of platforms, that could be varied for each system. One key advantage to any “pole-sitter” is that it has a position well outside the ecliptic plane and offers a unique, in some cases orthogonal viewing geometry that here to fore has not been developed for operational deployment. In this paper, the physics of the pole-sitter trajectory, the trade of fuel against altitude and updates in technology, which all point towards the feasibility of demonstrating in the near term a pole-sitter SDA capability, are discussed. In addition, this paper devises a proposed prototype using small spacecraft working in conjunction with ground-based sensors with descriptions of current technology ready for deployment.
Date of Conference: September 27-20, 2022
Track: Space-Based Assets