The Turbulence-Enhanced Monocular Passive Rangefinding (TEMPR) System for Improved Boost-Phase Ballistic Missile Tracking

Argos Intelligence, LLC, proposes to develop the Turbulence-Enhanced Monocular Passive Rangefinding (TEMPR) System, an innovative capability for the passive rangefinding of boost-phase ballistic missiles. The TEMPR System combines standard multispectral imaging with advanced phenomenological models and signal processing for unprecedented rangefinding capability. TEMPR will operate in real time and will be designed for the stringent demands of covert airborne ballistic missile tracking missions. TEMPR improves boost-phase ballistic missile rangefinding by exploiting two different physical mechanisms, namely absorption in multiple spectral bands and the range variability of turbulence. The primary components of the proposed TEMPR System are a multi-spectral measurement system, a 3-D atmospheric refraction and turbulence model of the atmosphere surrounding the ABL, and robust, real-time range extraction algorithms. The TEMPR Multi-Spectral Measurement System is composed of multispectral sensors strategically situated on the platform that provide multispectral measurements of both the distant stars and the boost-phase missile. The measurements of the stars are used to create a real-time 3-D refraction and turbulence model of the atmosphere surrounding the ABL. Range extraction algorithms utilize the passive measurements of the boost-phase missile and query the 3-D refraction and turbulence model to extract the range to the missile.