RUBY SKY: Cruise Missile Detection with an In-Space Coated Origami Mirror

Our adversaries have demonstrated cruise missiles with the ability to outpace U.S. intercepting air-vehicles, penetrate current anti-missile shield systems, fly at low altitudes to avoid radar detection, and evade detection from orbit due to low infrared (IR) signatures. Additionally, hypersonic cruise missiles are particularly difficult for the USAF to track because they are “10-20 times dimmer than what the U.S. normally tracks by satellites in geostationary orbit” [Michael D. Griffin 2018]. A key technology that is essential to detecting all cruise missiles is the deployment of  large aperture (1.5-3 meters) IR assets with a small satellite form factor (450kg). Rhea Space Activity (RSA) in collaboration with the University of Houston (UH) proposes to study and eventually build RUBY SKY, a small-sat with a 1.5-3 meter IR aperture. RUBY SKY leverages origami deployments (TRL 3) and in-space vacuum deposition (TRL 8) demonstrated on the University of Houston/NASA Wake Shield Facility Program on Space Shuttle Fights 60, 69, and 80. RUBY SKY’s capability is provided by a large origami mirror-blank that folds out of a small-satellite.   The unfolded mirror blank is optimized to have the shape and optical focusing characteristics required for IR detection. This folded mirror blank would then be deployed from a small-sat, unfurled, and coated in space with typically a highly reflective gold coating thus enabling IR signal detection. RUBY SKY will be able to provide high intelligence value to the USAF by tracking/tagging cruise missiles (sub/super/hyper-sonic) is possible high-LEO or low-MEO.