Tamara E. Payne, Applied Optimization Inc.; Philip J. Castro, Applied Optimization, Inc.; Victoria C. Frey, Applied Optimization; Markus H. Ernst, Applied Optimization, Inc.; Corey R. Hufford, Applied Optimization, Inc.; Trenton J. Godar, U.S. Air Force
Keywords: EOSSA, data format, photometry, astrometry, non-resolved object characterization
Abstract:
With the increase in the number of Electro-Optical (EO) sensors collecting photometric, radiometric, and spectroscopic data on man-made Resident Space Objects (RSOs) for Space Domain Awareness (SDA) purposes, the EO SDA community of interest and stakeholders in SDA required a file format protocol for reporting the extracted information used for SSA from these datasets. In 2014, the major stakeholders in SDA EO products, collected their requirements and developed a sensor-independent file format standard to meet current and evolving needs to ingest EO datasets and produce timely and responsive analysis products. This file format for EO data products is called Electro-Optical Space Situational Awareness (EOSSA).
There are various sensors producing photometric data products of various types from various missions. As such, a format needs to be consistent, contain required information archiving the data pedigree, capture observing conditions, and yet remains flexible. For example, a space-based sensor might have data products from different collection modes: 1) multiple photometric brightness measurements extracted from metric tracklets; 2) minutes-long, high-temporally-sampled photometry measurements; and 3) multispectral measurements. However, a ground-based sensor might collect only a few photometric measurements in its metric mode. Other operational sensors, contributing sensors, and non-traditional sensors collect differently as well; therefore, the EO observations vary both in size and type depending on the sensor and/or collection mode. Thus, a standardized and extensible format is required to handle the variability. The EOSSA format was developed to accommodate all of these varieties and more. With a standardized format that includes all the relevant information on RSO collections, such as time, sensor location, target location, and calibrations, as well as the EO measurements themselves, automated analysis tools can be more readily developed and tested for RSO characterization with reduced cost.
In 2014, the EOSSA file specification format was published in the AMOS conference proceedings as a resource for the SDA community. Recently, the EOSSA file description document (FDD) was revised and enhanced using feedback received from the EO data providers and data users, and from the authors own experience using the FDD for six years. The modifications to EOSSA will be presented and the new file description document will be available to the community.
We will present Release 4 of the FDD for EOSSA version 3.1.1 that includes updated descriptions to increase clarity and correct typographical errors and an updated EOSSA example. Several sections were added in this release to help the data providers: standardization of the order of reporting spectral filters, notes column to the tables, an appendix with equations to calculate various angles, an appendix that describes how to generate EOSSA files of simulated EO data, and an appendix describing how to generate EOSSA files of LWIR radiometry data with and without images. Adding images or thumbnails of focal plane data is elementary because EOSSA utilizes the NASA FITS format.
Date of Conference: September 14-17, 2021
Track: SSA/SDA