Wide Area Space Surveillance System

A Wide Area Space Surveillance System (WASSS) would provide near continuous, real-time monitoring of insertion events, orbital maneuvers, and resident space objects (RSOs) in deep space. A constellation of satellites is proposed with multiple wide field-of-view sensors in an orbit that provides optimal viewing of prioritized regions of space. The proposed system was inspired by recent highly revealing detections by the Air Force Solar Mass Ejection Imager (SMEI) of numerous satellite orbit insertions. In Phase I, SSI successfully demonstrated the feasibility of the WASSS concept based on a SMEI-type sensor modified and tailored for a space surveillance mission. In Phase II, SSI will develop and evaluate the system concept and sensor design. The three primary aspects of the Phase II study are the 1) down-selection and evaluation of the satellite constellation orbital geometry and surveillance strategy, 2) design and evaluation of a sensor system to meet the requirements of the selected constellation, and 3) demonstration of the critical aspects of the sensor performance in a breadboard prototype sensor. At the end of Phase II, SSI will conceive a demonstration space experiment to be pursued in Phase III. BENEFIT: The Wide Area Space Surveillance System addresses the deficiencies in detection and coverage of the current Space Surveillance Network (SSN). It would provide a unique and vital capability for real-time detection of new orbit insertions and continuous RSO tracking. The WASSS spatial coverage and refresh rate far exceeds those of existing SSA sensors, thereby dramatically reducing the probability that a nefarious satellite insertion event goes undetected. The integration of WASSS in the existing SSN would, therefore, substantially enhance the protection of high-value commercial and military satellites, in particular those in deep space. WASSS could serve as a queuing sensor for a high-resolution sensor system such as the Space-Based Surveillance System (SBSS). A successful Phase II would lead to an Advanced Concept Technology Demonstration and a transition of the technology to an Air-Force prime contractor for implementation. The advanced space-based sensor has numerous dual-use applications. The improved stray-light rejection performance enhances its ability to detect and track coronal mass ejections from the sun. The associated space-weather forecasting mission is highly relevant to both the commercial and military sectors impacted by solar-induced communications outages and thermospheric density increases that change the orbits of satellites. The sensor innovations would also have an impact on a variety of commercial and military imaging applications. The unique ability to observe dim moving objects in a cluttered scene can also be applied to a variety of change-detection applications, including surveillance and process monitoring.