Direct Detection Range-doppler Laser Radar

THE TEAM OF ELECTRO-OPTICAL SCIENCES (EOS) AND SKW PROPOSE AN INNOVATIVE RANGE-DOPPLER LASER RADAR FOR USE ON SPACEBORNE PLATFORMS IN TMD AND STRATEGIC DEFENSE APPLICATIONS. THE NEW LASER RADAR UTILIZES A CONVENTIONAL RANGER OPTICALLY COUPLED WITH A NOVEL INTERFEROMETRIC DOPPLER DETECTION (ID3) RECEIVER RECENTLY INVENTED BY EOS. THE LASER RADAR WILL FUNCTION AS AN ADJUNCT TO PASSIVE SENSORS USED IN DETECTION, IDENTIFICATION AND TRACKING OF BALLISTIC MISSILES. THE BENEFITS OF THIS LASER RADAR FOR BMD APPLICATIONS ARE: 1) IMPROVED DETECTION/IDENTIFICATION OF TARGETS IN CLUTTER DUE TO THEIR UNIQUE DOPPLER SIGNATURES; 2) RAPID ESTIMATION TARGET STATE VECTOR WITH IMPROVED PERFORMANCE VERSUS SHORT-BURN BOOSTERS (E.G., SCUD); 3) SINGLE SATELLITE AUTONOMOUS TRACKING WHICH IMPROVES COVERAGE VERSUS SHORT RANGE AND DEPRESSED TRAJECTORIES. PHASE I RESEARCH WILL DEVELOP A PRELIMINARY DESIGN AND PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS INCLUDING NECESSARY SIGNAL PROCESSING ALGORITHMS. PHASE II EFFORT WILL DEVELOP A BREADBOARD SENSOR FOR FEASIBILITY DEMONSTRATION THROUGH A SERIES OF LABORATORY AND GROUP BASED TESTS. OPTICAL TRACKING TEST SITES AT ISTEF AND WSMR ARE SUITABLE FOR THIS DEMONSTRATION. DATA WILL BE USED TO VALIDATE SIGNAL PROCESSING ALGORITHMS AND FUSION CONCEPTS.