Phan Dao, AFRL, Elisabeth Heinrich-Josties, Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope Network, Todd Boroson, Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope Network
Keywords: geostationary satellite, non-resolved signature, automated detection of change, mistagging
Abstract:
Automated detection of changes of GEO satellites using photometry is fundamentally dependent on near real time association of non-resolved signatures and object identification. Non-statistical algorithms which rely on fixed positional boundaries for associating objects often results in mistags [1]. Photometry has been proposed to reduce the occurrence of mistags. In past attempts to include photometry, (1) the problem of correlation (with the catalog) has been decoupled from the photometry-based detection of change and mistagging and (2) positional information has not been considered simultaneously with photometry. The technique used in this study addresses both problems. It takes advantage of the fusion of both types of information and processes all information concurrently in a single statistics-based framework. This study demonstrates with Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope Network (LCOGT) data that metric information, i.e. right ascension, declination, photometry and GP element set, can be used concurrently to confidently associate (identify) GEO objects. All algorithms can easily be put into a framework to process data in near-real-time.
Date of Conference: September 20-23, 2016
Track: Poster