Persistent Wide Field Space Surveillance

ABSTRACT: The research for this Phase I topic is to determine an approach that will meet the derived system requirements for this challenging field of dim and bright object detection through WFOV surveillance. Answers will be determined whether the conceived approach exploits recent developments in the sensors and data processing/manipulation, eliminates the need to mechanically point and track, is highly scalable to increase the system's limiting magnitude for detection and track formation, is highly scalable to increase the area searched in a given time, and exploit the rapidly growing COTS technology for system components for affordably realizable systems. The goal is to cover 1000 square degrees per hour, see at least a 18th MV, and operate at AFRL"s SOR to observe geostationary earth orbit or deep space objects above 45 degrees elevation during typical sky conditions. The system cost goal is less than $1M for building production systems and is easily installed at SOR. The end result is to derive electro-optic data from passive data that is converted to astrometric information that is used in an orbit determination estimation algorithm and hand off the orbit ephemeris to a higher resolution telescope such as the 3.5 meter at SOR. BENEFIT: The applications for commercial opportunity for wide field of view object detection systems are collision avoidance and health monitoring for commercial owned and operated satellites. The development of an wide field of view object detection system from this project opens the door for faster cost effective and simpler object detection systems. Wide field of view object detection systems will cue dedicated astronomical telescopes once an object is detected for higher resolution imagery. Wide field of view object detection systems developed by Tau are portable, self-contained, and weather proof. The systems will be located in any desirable location that has communication access using machine to machine (M2M) technology such as accessing internet via wireless communications