Raymond Wright, BAE Systems; Naomi Owens-Fahrner, BAE Systems; Luke Tafur, BAE Systems; Joshua Wysack, BAE Systems
Keywords: Cislunar, SSA, SDA, STM, Poincare Search Maps, Three-body problem
Abstract:
Cislunar Space: Navigating the Crowded Crossroads with Precision and Efficiency
The Cislunar region, the space from the Earth to just past the Moon’s orbit, is rapidly transforming from a celestial frontier into a bustling crossroads. Governments, scientific institutions, and commercial entities are increasingly venturing into this domain, drawn by its resource potential, strategic value, and scientific allure. This growing presence, however, necessitates a robust Space Situational Awareness (SSA) system to ensure the safety and security of all players. This work explores how Poincaré Search Maps, coupled with innovative mission designs, can revolutionize the approach to future SSA missions in Cislunar space, enabling efficient tracking, anomaly detection, and safe navigation.
The Challenge: Vastness and Visibility Gaps
The sheer vastness of Cislunar space poses a significant challenge for conventional SSA approaches. Traditional search methods, such as scanning the entire volume using ground-based assets, become time-consuming and impractical due to the size and number of sensors needed to search Cislunar space; especially as the region becomes more populated. Additionally, limitations in sensor technology impede comprehensive monitoring. Sensors attuned to detecting visible light suffers from illumination gaps, while ground-based infrared systems face atmospheric absorption limitations.
Poincaré Search Maps and Space-based Tracking: A Targeted Search Solution
Poincaré Search Maps offer a solution. By mapping three-body orbital dynamics physics models to theoretical planes in space, these customizable, virtual planes can be strategically placed anywhere in space and tailored to specific mission goals enabling surveillance architectures to significantly reduce their search space and enhance detection efficiency.
Identifying Threats: Leveraging High-Traffic Bottlenecks
This study expands upon the work done in 2023 which introduced how to track and monitor manifolds within the Cislunar corridor[1]. Unpowered objects and low-thrust spacecraft follow predictable trajectories dictated by their orbits. These paths often converge at specific choke points, like Lagrange points – ideal locations for targeted observation. Cislunar highway tracking missions can capitalize on this principle by monitoring these high-traffic areas.
Manifolds and Poincaré Maps: A Synergistic Approach
Within the study, a conceptual observing architecture which prioritizes searching Poincaré Search Maps will be compared to an architecture defined to search the entirety of Cislunar space. It will show how strategic placements of the Poincaré Search Maps incorporated with an infrared sensing observer significantly reduces the search volume while maximizing detection probability.
CONOPS Tailored for Timely Updates and Impact Assessments
Mission designs and concepts of operations that monitor Poincaré Map surfaces with space-based assets offer several advantages. Real-time updates to object catalogs become feasible, enabling better situational awareness and faster response times over full volume search. Tracking assets supporting the Space Traffic Management (STM) collision avoidance mission provide higher accuracy with more frequent revisits reducing the target state-estimation error, as they focus on objects within the defined search area.
Expanding Phenomenology: Closing Detection Gaps
A method to further improve efficiency is the use of space-based infrared sensors. Space-based observers can bypass visibility gaps and atmospheric attenuation. Space-based infrared systems improve signal detection at farther ranges[2]. Infrared payloads sensitive to thermal emissions bypass the geometric constraints (visibility gaps) of reflectivity. By extending detection into the infrared spectrum, mission design and planning gain greater flexibility in positioning the Poincaré Search Maps.
Conclusion: A Brighter Future for Cislunar Navigation
The study concludes with recommendations for future missions, leveraging Poincaré Search Maps and tailored CONOPS to achieve full observability of incoming and outgoing objects in Cislunar space. By embracing Poincaré Search Maps, manifolds, and targeted mission designs, SSA in Cislunar space can evolve from reactive to proactive. This newfound efficiency and precision will be crucial as the region continues to develop, ensuring the safety and security of all stakeholders and paving the way for a thriving and sustainable future in this celestial crossroads.
[1] Wright, R., Tafur, L., Fahrner, N. O., Wysack, J., “Monitoring and tracking accessible invariant manifolds in the Cislunar regime” AMOS (2023)
[2] Wright, R., Gordon, M., Van Cleve, J., Schroots, Hans., “Infrared Sensing for Space-Based Space Domain Awareness” AMOS (2023)
Date of Conference: September 17-20, 2024
Track: Cislunar SDA