James Blake, University of Warwick; Don Pollacco, University of Warwick; Robert Airey, University of Warwick; Paul Chote, University of Warwick; Benjamin Cooke, University of Warwick; James McCormac, University of Warwick; Billy Shrive, University of Warwick; Richard West, University of Warwick; Joshua Davis, Defence Science and Technology Laboratory; William Feline, Defence Science Technology Laboratory (Dstl); Emma Kerr, Defence Science Technology Laboratory (Dstl); Grant Privett, Dstl; Yuki Akiyama, JAXA; Hideaki Hinagawa, JAXA; Shinichi Nakamura, JAXA; Toshifumi Yanagisawa, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency; Rebecca McFadden, Deimos Space UK; Stuart Eves, SJE Space Ltd
Keywords: Sensor Architectures, Geosynchronous Region, SDA, Debris, Characterization, Optical Systems, Simulation
Abstract:
Significant changes have taken place in the space domain over the past decade, with a growing number of emerging space-faring nations and commercial actors gaining access to the operational environment. The consequential diversification of space activities has brought about a need for a reassessment of space domain awareness (SDA) capabilities. Numerous states are developing their operational capability to undertake space-based activities, with potentially widespread ramifications for the safety of spacecraft.
Rendezvous and proximity operations are becoming more prevalent in the geosynchronous (GSO) region for mission lifetime extension, active removal of debris, and satellite inspection, in all cases giving rise to novel challenges for SDA systems. Whats more, there remains a largely uncharacterised population of small debris in the vicinity of the GSO region, uncovered by bespoke surveys with large aperture telescopes, and posing a significant risk to active satellites.
In 2022, the UK Space Agency commissioned a study into the requirements and opportunities for SDA in the UK, carried out by CGI with support from the Global Network On Sustainability In Space (GNOSIS) and UKspace. The study highlighted research and development of sovereign sensors as one of its key recommendations, both to improve the UKs sensing capability and to contribute to closing gaps in global SDA capability.
To this end, we explore the key requirements for future SDA sensor architectures, with a focus on ground-based electro-optical systems for the surveillance of spacecraft in the GSO region. Archival two-line element sets are used to simulate catalogued resident space objects (RSOs) passing through a grid of surveillance regions, tasked with monitoring the neighbourhoods of high-value assets in the vicinity of the geostationary belt, while the derived population from ESAs Meteoroid and Space Debris Terrestrial Environment Reference (MASTER) model is used as a basis for simulating the GSO debris field. We assess the observability of transiting RSOs from the vantage point of La Palma, Canary Islands, taking a variety of observational constraints into account, including the Earths shadow, lunation, and the galactic plane.
We examine the performance of the simulated surveillance regions in the context of comprehensive, yet cost-effective SDA provision. Estimated costs are weighed against important metrics for essential SDA tasks (e.g., catalogue maintenance, change detection, and conjunction analysis), such as the total traffic observed per night, the cadence of the observations, and the temporal coverage of registered RSOs. The results of the simulation are used to inform a discussion of key sensor architecture requirements for effective SDA of GSO assets, taking into consideration a combination of sensor characteristics (e.g., sensitivity, resolution, and wavelength band) and other factors (e.g., geographical placement, site quality, and observational strategy) influencing SDA capabilities. We provide a commentary on the advantages and limitations of the different architectures considered and conclude with a list of recommendations for the designs of future SDA systems for the protection of GSO spacecraft.
Date of Conference: September 19-22, 2023
Track: Space Domain Awareness