Atsushi Nakajima (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency). Hirohisa Kurosaki (IAT, JAXA)
Keywords: Orbital Debris
Abstract:
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency(JAXA) has the facility of ground-based space debris optical observation at Nyukasayama observatory for the R&D on observation technology and also offered the data collections for the GEO debris to Japan Spaceguard Association(JSGA) at Bisei Spaceguard Center(BSGC). For the LEO debris radar observation, JAXA has operated Kamisaibara Spaceguard Center(KSGC). Because of the limiting observation capability of the facilities, the developments of the detection technologies and also the improvements of the facilities are necessary for the faint debris observation and orbit determination. Institute of Aerospace Technology(IAT) of JAXA has been developing the faint debris detection technologies and evaluating them by using the data obtained from the small aperture telescopes at Nyukasayama observatory, which was finished its construction last autumn. The facility has two domes, in which a 35cm Newtonian optical telescope with 2K2K CCD camera and a 25cm BRC optical telescope with 2K2K CCD camera are installed. The optical circumstances in this area was already proved by detecting faint asteroids, about 22nd magnitude, which is equivalent to the detection capability of one meter telescope. One of the most important study items in our R&D is to develop an automatic small size GEO debris detection software. We have proposed a stacking method for detecting noise level faint GEO debris to accumulate the signals by using a number of images. The standard exposure time is 10 seconds and the limiting magnitude is about 17.5 by using a single shot image. By using stacked images, the limiting magnitude will be improved to 19, which is equivalent to 20cm size GEO debris. The Nyukasayama observatory is used to develop optical observation technologies and also to cooperate with the related organizations for space debris observation. The overview of space debris observation program in JAXA and some details of the detection method are described in this paper.
Date of Conference: September 12-15, 2007
Track: Orbital Debris