Jonathan Hutfilz, Space Domain Awareness Division; James “Chris” Higgins, Space Domain Awareness Division
Keywords: Space Surveillance Telescope, Space Domain Awareness
Abstract:
Transformation of SST into a Dedicated Sensor in the Space Surveillance Network
(Abstract for 2021 AMOS Conference)
Primary Author & Presenter: Jonathan Hutfilz
Co-author: James Higgins
The Space Surveillance Telescope (SST) is a large ground-based optical system capable of rapid un-cued search, detection and tracking of dim objects in deep space. Originally produced by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) as an advanced technology demonstration, SST has been improved so that it can begin operations in 2022 as a dedicated sensor in the Space Surveillance Network. At that time, it will start surveying the skies above the Indo-Pacific Region, from its new home in the southern hemisphere. This presentation will describe that transformation, spanning 2 decades, 2 continents, and one very-strong international partnership.
Under DARPAs leadership, SST was developed by Massachusetts Institute of Technologys Lincoln Laboratory. The design includes a 3.6-meter diameter aperture matched to an f/1 optical prescription and a unique camera composed of 96 million pixels positioned along a curved surface. The telescope was designed and built by L3 Technologies, Brashear Division, now, part of L3 Harris. The camera was designed and built by Lincoln Laboratory.
The original location for the evaluation of this telescope was from a DARPA-built facility on the north end of White Sands Missile Range, in central New Mexico. As a prototype sensor, SST achieved its first first light in 2011, and immediately began breaking records for the discovery of new objects. Its performance was so good that it became the subject of a 2013 agreement between the U.S. Secretary of Defense and the Australian Minister of Defence, agreeing that the two nations would partner on operating SST from a new facility which Australia would build near Exmouth, in Western Australia.
To satisfy that agreement, an international collaboration was forged between 2 separate Program Offices, one assigned to the U.S. Space Force and the other to Australias Royal Australian Air Force.
The transformation of SST began through closely-integrated but separate acquisition activities conducted by both System Program Offices. Over a nine-month period in 2017, SST was slowly disassembled in New Mexico, allowing for documentation of procedures, inspection and repair of components and assessment of improvements required so that SST could eventually meet reliability and Space Surveillance Network (SSN) performance standards. 232 tons of SST hardware were then shipped over 14,000 miles in 17 crates, safely arriving in Australia. Australia designed and constructed a marvelous facility for SST, fit for the purpose of maintaining high operational availability of this new sensor. Finally, the re-assembly of SST commenced in parallel with completion of that facilitys construction. The U.S. Chief of Space Operations, General Jay Raymond, publicly announced that the re-built SST achieved first light in Australia in March of 2020.
In addition to understanding resident space objects, the Space Surveillance Telescope is well-suited to detect natural space objects, such as asteroids and comets. Between 2014 and 2017, SST contributed more than 3 million observations to the Minor Planet Center, including discoveries of over 500 new asteroids. Once operational in Australia in 2022, SST data will provide NASAs Near-Earth Object discovery programs with access to the southern hemisphere sky, and increase the detection of asteroids which could be threatening to life on earth.
The Space Surveillance Telescope is one of the worlds most exquisite space domain awareness sensors, capable of searching, in seconds, an area the size of either the U.S. or Australia, surveying one-quarter of the sky several times each night. The number of earth-orbiting objects will continue to grow while the size of those objects shrinks. Effective catalog maintenance requires sensors with high sensitivity, resolution, and capacity. The Space Surveillance Telescope is the first operational sensor of its kind; and is ready to effectively monitor the growing population of man-made objects in deep space. In doing so, it will fill a critical gap in the Space Surveillance Network’s coverage of the skies above Earth.
Date of Conference: September 14-17, 2021
Track: Optical Systems & Instrumentation