Ed Kruzins, UNSW Canberra Space, and Commonwealth Scientific Industrial Research Organisation; Timothy Bateman, UNSW Canberra Space; Lance Benner, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology; Russell Boyce, UNSW Canberra Space; Melrose Brown, UNSW Canberra Space; Sam Darwell, UNSW Canberra Space; Phil Edwards, Commonwealth Scientific Industrial Research Organisation; Lauren Elizabeth-Glina, UNSW Canberra Space; Jon Giorgini, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology; Shinji Horiuchi, Commonwealth Scientific Industrial Research Organisation; Andrew Lambert, UNSW Canberra Space; Joseph Lazio, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology; Guifre Molera-Calves, University of Tasmania; Edwin Peters, UNSW Canberra Space; Chris Phillips, Commonwealth Scientific Industrial Research Organisation; Jamie Stevens, Commonwealth Scientific Industrial Research Organisation; Jai Vennik, UNSW Canberra Space
Keywords: Near Earth Objects, NEO’s, asteroids, bistatic radar, optical telescopes, deep space, southern hemisphere
Abstract:
Augmentation of a Southern Hemisphere Deep Space Bistatic Radar with Small Optical Systems to Detect Near Earth and other Space Objects.
Authors:
Ed Kruzins1,2, Timothy Bateman1, Lance Benner3 Russel Boyce1 Melrose Brown1, Phil Edwards2, Lauren Elizabeth-Glina1, Jon Giorgini3, Shinji Horiuchi2, Andrew Lambert1, Joe Lazio3, Guifre Molera Calves4, Edwin Peters1, Chris Phillips2, Jamie Stevens2, Jai Vennick1
1 University of New South Wales,
School of Engineering and Information Technology, Canberra Space.
2 Commonwealth Scientific Industrial Research Organisation.
3 Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology.
4 University of Tasmania, Hobart.
Abstract
We describe development of a synchronised southern hemisphere bistatic radar and optical system to detect near-Earth asteroids and objects (NEOs). For many years, Space Agencies and Institutions have utilised high gain antennas and optical telescopes in the northern hemisphere (GSSR, Arecibo-offline, Catalina, Pan-STARRS, Atlas, Linear) (1) to track and observe asteroids. A regular operational system to monitor the southern skies where a percentage of asteroids and various human made objects are uniquely detectable from Australias geographic location, is desirable.
To fill that gap we report on research, synchronising Doppler-compensated continuous wave radio frequency bistatic radar transmissions at 2.1 and 7.15 GHz from the Southern Hemisphere Asteroid Radar Program SHARP (2) with a wide field optical system being developed at UNSW. Using modest optical apertures with novel event-based sensors, research is progressing into the threshold and feasibility of combined optical/RF NEO detections. Automated sub-metre class optical instruments of this type may be dedicated to NEO tracking more readily and more cost effectively than highly performant large aperture optical systems (3) traditionally used for first NEO detections but often dedicated to professional optical astronomy.
The SHARP Program uses available antenna time on either a 70m or 34m beam waveguide antenna located at the Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex (CDSCC) to transmit a doppler compensated continuous wave at 20kW toward the NEO and receive its echoes at the 64m Parkes or 6x22m Australia Telescope Compact Array ATCA antennas at Narrabri, Australia. The southern hemisphere program has also recently been joined by the 12m antennas of the University of Tasmania at Hobart (TAS) and Katherine (NT). Combined with UTAS antennas, augmenting the SHARP southern hemisphere bistatic radar capability with sub-metre class optical instruments may add an improved cueing and tracking value to the objects so far detected by SHARP and further five near earth asteroids (NEA’s) in 2022. Since 2015 SHARP has illuminated and tracked many NEOs including human made objects ranging in diameter from 20m to 5000m at ranges of 0.1 to 18 lunar distances respectively from Australia.
Optical instruments can, among others, provide additional information on the position, shape and body rates of NEO objects through light-curves and super resolution techniques. An augmented deep space radar with an optical system may offer new and refined data for NEO orbit refinement, size, shape, velocity and composition that contributes to not only filling the gap from the southern hemisphere but also provides insights into translating asteroid detection knowledge to the detection of human made objects to support global space domain awareness efforts.
Near-Earth Object Observations Program | NASA
Southern Hemisphere Asteroid Radar Program (SHARP): Tidbinbilla-ATCA Radar Observations of Near Earth Asteroid 2003 SD220 – NASA/ADS (harvard.edu)Study of the Asteroid Florence – NASA/ADS (harvard.edu)
Study of the Asteroid Florence – NASA/ADS (harvard.edu)
Date of Conference: September 27-20, 2022
Track: Optical Systems & Instrumentation