Matthew McHarg, United States Air Force Academy; Francis Chun, U.S. Air Force Academy; Punarvasan Garani, United States Air Force Academy; Erik Popescu, US Air Force Academy; Zachary Wilcox, i2 Strategic Services LLC; Elsa Carreras, i2 Strategic Services LLC
https://doi.org/10.64861/QPJC2812
Keywords: Event-based sensors, space-based SDA, neuromorphic
Abstract:
In order to maintain and further space domain awareness, accurately tracking and identifying satellites is critical to enable that goal. To that end, the United States Space Force operates ground-based radar and optical sensors to maintain the space catalog. The space catalog has seen tremendous growth over the past five years as the commercial industry launch and operate mega-constellations of satellites in the low-earth orbit region. The majority of the optical sensors that provide observations of satellites are ground-based and thus subject to nighttime operations and weather considerations. Other than the Space-Based Space Surveillance satellite, there are no other satellites in orbit dedicated to the mission of maintaining the space catalog. At the United States Air Force Academy, the Space Physics and Atmospheric Research Center (SPARC) in the Department of Physics and Meteorology fly’s experiments in space focused on space weather and space domain awareness (SDA) applications. One SDA experiment currently in orbit on the International Space Station is an event-based camera called Falcon ODIN (Optical Defense and Intelligence through Neuromorphics).
Falcon ODIN is a multisystem imaging platform of four cameras to include two neuromorphic and two framing cameras. In the RAM and NADIR directions are the two event-based neuromorphic cameras used to capture events in space and capture data by looking at the change in brightness. Because event-based cameras only record events (i.e., time, x and y pixel location, and whether the event is an increase or decrease in intensity) as they occur, their data transfer requirements are minimal allowing for faster collection and analysis. This is ideal for any camera in space with limited data transfer rates. Context cameras such as those on ODIN allow for better tracking of satellites and other space-based events due to the collection method allowing for easy traceability. Through the use of computer algorithms, Falcon ODIN aims to automate the analysis of the data from the neuromorphic cameras allowing a quicker analysis time frame providing for better situational awareness in space.
Date of Conference: September 15-18, 2026
Track: Space-Based Assets