Tamara E. Payne, Applied Optimization, Inc.; Philip Castro, Applied Optimization, Inc.; Luke Weisenbach, Applied Optimization, Inc.; Ethan VanTilburg, Applied Optimization Inc.; Matthew Wilson, Applied Optimization Inc.; Trenton Godar, U.S. Government; Veronica Wiley, U.S. Government; James Frith, AFRL/RVSW; Scott P. Milster, AFRL/RVSW
Keywords: Photometry, Calibration, Space Situational Awareness (SSA), Space Domain Awareness (SDA), Multispectral, Space Object Characterization
Abstract:
We present Applied Optimizations (AO) new custom telescope system called Peacock. Peacock is a persistent, wide-field-of-view, simultaneous, multispectral system based on Commercial Off the Shelf (COTS) hardware. Peacock uses a set of four identical telescope systems boresighted together via a custom holder on a Paramount MEII mount, each with a different astronomical filter (Sloan g, r, i, and z) with four identical CCD detectors. The system was designed, assembled, and is operated by Applied Optimization. The system allows simultaneous, four-filter photometry for satellite characterization in support of Space Domain Awareness (SDA).
We discuss the motivation for building this system, the hardware engineering involved, the system control software, and the photometric and astrometric processing pipeline. The system is controlled using in-house software to control each telescope system for synchronization. The photometric and astrometric processing pipeline uses in-house software to reduce the observations, extract the flux of the resident space objects, and calibrate the photometry onto a standard photometric system.
We present the initial results of the system generating persistent signatures of multiple Geosynchronous Earth Orbit satellites (GEOs) within a single FOV: multi-spectral signatures, color-index signatures, and color-color plots. We describe the photometric errors of the current system using in-frame photometric calibrations and future work to improve it, as well as improvements planned for future data products. We discuss the utility of persistent, simultaneous, multi-spectral signatures for SDA.
This abstract was approved for public release. Case number: AFRL-2022-1550.
Date of Conference: September 27-20, 2022
Track: Non-Resolved Object Characterization