Self-contained High-resolution Sensor Payload Optimized for Near Real-Time Space Object Threat Characterization

The US space ecosystem is under threat from adversarial spacecraft and objects. Sophisticated space systems have been developed by countries like Russia and China, which could potentially harm or spy on valuable national assets. The US Space Force (USSF), as mentioned in the 2022 Doctrine for Space Force, has a crucial defense-related mission in the area of Space Domain Awareness (SDA). This involves effectively identifying, characterizing, and understanding any factors in the space domain that could impact the nation’s security, safety, economy, or environment. This includes the capability to detect, track, and identify hazardous objects in orbit, especially those originating from adversary nations such as Russia or China. Non-Earth imaging (NEI) is carried out by directing the imaging satellite at other satellites or debris objects and capturing images during high relative velocity flyby encounters from distances exceeding 200km. This space-based resolved NEI provides superior surveillance of adversary satellite behavior and allows for identification and analysis of capabilities. A significant advantage is the ability to gather intelligence without needing to perform close-up inspections via rendezvous proximity operations. This is because the adversary satellite is unaware of being surveyed if no close proximity maneuvers are performed. Unlike Earth-based sensors, these images are not affected by atmospheric or geographical conditions, resulting in significantly sharper and more detailed images.