Sarvesh Garimella, MyRadar; Douglas Franz, MyRadar; Scott Ferguson, Astronomy Live
Keywords: Hypersonic vehicles, plasma emissions, SWIR imaging, multispectral imaging, re-entry dynamics, high-speed aerodynamics
Abstract:
The observation and characterization of hypersonic vehicles, such as re-entering rocket stages or high-speed maneuvering bodies, require advanced optical techniques capable of capturing transient plasma emissions. These emissions result from high-temperature interactions between the vehicle and the surrounding atmosphere, forming complex, rapidly evolving spectral signatures across multiple wavelengths. In this study, we employ a commercial-grade, programmable tracking telescope coupled with a high-speed, video-framerate multispectral shortwave infrared (SWIR) camera to capture and analyze plasma characteristics in real time.
Our system consists of a high-aperture, motorized telescope equipped with precision tracking algorithms to follow the rapid motion of hypersonic vehicles across the sky. The telescope is paired with a multispectral SWIR imaging system capable of recording spectral emissions at frame rates exceeding 60 Hz, allowing for detailed temporal and spatial resolution of plasma behavior. The SWIR camera’s spectral range, spanning approximately 900–1700 nm, provides insight into molecular species, radiative heat transfer, and ionization effects that are not readily visible in traditional visible-wavelength imaging.
The experimental methodology involves capturing hypersonic flight events, including controlled rocket stage re-entries and other high-speed atmospheric maneuvers. We leverage real-time tracking data from orbital predictions and telemetry feeds to direct the telescope, ensuring optimal data acquisition during critical flight phases. The multispectral imaging approach allows for the differentiation of plasma constituents, including atomic oxygen, hydroxyl radicals, and excited nitrogen species, enabling a deeper understanding of the vehicle’s shock-layer physics and boundary-layer interactions.
Preliminary results demonstrate the feasibility of resolving high-speed plasma dynamics with milliseconds temporal resolution, revealing spatiotemporal variations in emission intensity and spectral composition. These findings have significant implications for aerospace applications, including vehicle heat shield design, atmospheric entry modeling, and hypersonic propulsion diagnostics. Furthermore, the use of commercially available, programmable tracking telescopes and video-rate SWIR imaging enhances the accessibility of such observations, opening new opportunities for remote sensing of hypersonic phenomena.
This work represents a novel application of emerging optical tracking and multispectral imaging technologies for hypersonic research. Future efforts will focus on refining spectral processing techniques, improving tracking accuracy for maneuvering targets, and extending observations to other spectral bands for a more comprehensive plasma characterization.
Date of Conference: September 16-19, 2025
Track: Satellite Characterization