Wide Area Space Surveillance System

Wide-area space surveillance systems are required to detect and identify space operations and characterize their activities.  Both requirements can be met with wide-area, high-dynamic-range sensors, similar to the Solar Mass Ejection Imager, but with performance enhancements for detection of Resident Space Objects (RSO) and their orbital maneuvers. A system of satellites, equipped with such sensors, would achieve wide-area, continuous coverage of the GEO Belt, providing early-launch warning, and enable the tracking of insertion events and on-orbit maneuvers.  In the proposed SBIR effort, we will develop a concept for a system of space-based sensors to detect, identify and quantify maneuvers through their time-dependent signatures.  The three primary aspects of the study are the sensor, the constellation of sensors, and signature phenomenology.  The Phase II effort would result in a trade-study and detailed specifications for all three elements of the system. BENEFIT: The anticipated Wide Area Space Surveillance System would provide a unique and vital capability for early launch warning and RSO tracking required for Space Situational Awareness (SSA). It could serve as a stand-alone system or 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 sensor innovations would be applicable in a variety of commercial and military imaging applications.  The unique ability to observe dim moving objects in a cluttered scene can be applied to a variety of change-detection applications, including surveillance and process monitoring. The program would also provide new insight into the signature of orbital activities that can enhance existing SSA programs.