TASA-RS for Starfire Optical Range

The United States Space Force has the challenge of ensuring astronomical and space situational awareness (SSA) from ground stations. Ground-based radars are capable but not practical because they incur a high cost to build and operate, especially for tracking satellites in geosynchronous orbits. Fortunately, ground-based optical telescopes with adaptive optics are less expensive to build and operate, and they are suitable to identify, track and characterize satellites in all orbits. However, the adaptive optics of such telescopes require operation of a laser-beacon to make proper adjustment for atmospheric turbulence. Since these laser-beacons are not eye-safe, they pose a risk to pilots of aircraft entering Space Forceĺs optical ranges. This pilot safety requirement extends to all aircraft, even when an on-board transponder is not communicating the aircraftĺs approach. ???????SARA proposes the Terrestrial Acoustic Sensor Array-Range Safety (TASA-RS) which uses passive acoustics to detect approaching aircraft, regardless of whether they communicate their approach (e.g., with ADS-B), and well before they can enter the at-risk airspace around the laser-beacon. TASA-RS does not require mounting to the telescope or any structures that can affect telescope stability due to weather conditions. TASA, originally conceived in 2018 after its airborne predecessor showed promise, is a SARA innovation that uses the heretofore unexploited modality of passive acoustics measured from the ground.á TASA has since received FAA Part 107 waivers for commercial UAS operators beginning in 2021. Just as laser and radar modalities have evolved with innovations, there is room for continued innovation in passive acoustic detection of aircraft, particularly when applied to new use cases such as pilot safety in optical ranges that use laser-beacons. Similar to commercial uses, TASA-RSĺs range and accuracy will provide reliable, efficient detection and tracking of all aircraft in the coverage area. Due to the nature of its mission and secure location at Kirtland AFB, the Starfire Optical Range requires secure data links and a centralized computing architecture for fusing the data generated by each node. During the Phase II SBIR effort, SARA will develop TASA-RS software for more complex multi-node fusion of tracks and perform simulations and test to verify that TASA-RS meets Space Force and FAA aircraft detection requirements for implementation in a centralized and secure operating environment.