Matthew Bold, Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company; James Mason, Lockheed Martin Space; Jared Renshaw, Lockheed Martin; Greg Madsen, Lockheed Martin; Amy Cooprider, Lockheed Martin; Phil Bland, Curtin University; Abraham Chan, Lockheed Martin; David Ball, Lockheed Martin Australia; Robert Howie, Space Science and Technology Centre at Curtin University; Matthew Tetlow, Inovor Technologies; Brandon Adams, Lockheed Martin Space; Chloe Hutchinson, Lockheed Martin Space; Alexandra Dziaba, Lockheed Martin Space; Connick Goodwin, Lockheed Martin Space; Connor Green, Lockheed Martin Space; Camilla Leonard, Lockheed Martin Space; Zachary Rogers, Lockheed Martin Space; Julia Seba, Lockheed Martin Space; Hannah Murtha, Lockheed Martin Space; Riley Cayton, Lockheed Martin Space; Mreedul Gupta, Lockheed Martin Space; Ethan Cuenca Fregoso, Lockheed Martin Space; Benjamin Adams, Inovor Technologies; Zebb Prime, Inovor Technologies; Philip Citowicki, Lockheed Martin
Keywords: Optical Sensing, Space Domain Awareness, Proliferated Sensor Networks, Persistent Monitoring, Sensor Resilience, Space Event Detection, Uncued Sensors, Widefield of View Sensors
Abstract:
The implementation of less capable, but more affordable sensors, distributed throughout a domain of interest, complement and augment more capable primary sensors. Proliferated sensor networks (PSN) provide persistent monitoring of the domain, resilience to natural and human made threats and uncued detection and alert of evolving events. Lockheed Martin (LM), working with Curtin University in Australia, has been developing proliferated sensors for multiple mission applications including space domain awareness (SDA) and hypersonic vehicle tracking. Researchers at LMs Advanced Technology Center (ATC) are leading a study to explore the capability enhancement of PSNs on legacy architectures and optimization of the design of PSN architectures including design of the sensors themselves. Studies are being undertaken in both SDA and hypersonic defence. This paper will focus on the SDA mission but will reference lessons learned from the broader set of mission spaces and will explore two key attributes of PNSs for space security, persistence and resilience.
More capable systems, typically with larger collecting apertures, offer very good sensitivity and accuracy, but their cost prohibit construction and operation of more than a handful of units and with a typically narrow field of view, do not offer significant persistent observation of the domain. At the same time, PSN sensors typically sacrifice sensitivity and accuracy in the goal of affordability which is key to proliferation and thus persistent monitoring of the domain. The objective of LMs studies is to balance these trades to optimize performance of the entire network, PSN plus primary sensors, against the population of objects of interest. This study also factors in domain attributes such as weather and the variability of object lighting. Optical systems, unlike many radio frequency (RF) systems, cannot operate when conditions are cloudy and photometric performance is degraded in the presence of high humidity or thin clouds. One obvious advantage to PSNs is that while one site might be impacted by weather, additional local or regional sites might be operating in good weather. Lighting conditions of target objects are also highly variable with the orientation of the object, solar phase angle and sensor line of site leading to object brightness that can vary by orders of magnitude. To a sensor at one site, an object may appear dim while at a site a few hundred kilometers away, the object may be bright.
This paper will attempt to formalize the concept of PSNs, summarize the current state of the art for PSNs, development of modeling and simulation tools, results of this study to date and propose next steps for research and development activity as well as recommendations for implementation of existing capabilities.
Date of Conference: September 19-22, 2023
Track: Space Domain Awareness