24/7 Monitoring of Active Satellites using Passive Radio-Frequency (RF) Sensors

Rincon Research Corporation (RRC) has developed a low-cost passive-RF-based system that generates high-accuracy tracking observations using the RF signals broadcast by active satellites. In Phase I, RRC demonstrated that this system can track active deep-space satellites 24x7 in all weather, that it can distinguish closely spaced objects (CSOs) by their different RF emissions, and that the resulting orbit determination (OD)/ephemeris accuracy is more than an order of magnitude more accurate than current Space Surveillance Network (SSN) and Joint Space Operations Center (JSpOC) capabilities. There were 13 technical goals for this SBIR, and RRC successfully demonstrated 9 of those goals during Phase I using our research and development (R&D) passive RF network, and we provided a clear path forward to demonstrating the remaining four goals during Phase II. In Phase II, RRC will design and integrate an operational-quality passive RF collection system, and install it at a customer-designated site. The installed sensor will demonstrate that the technology is robust and deployable, that each site can be built for less than $1 million, and that the system can cue optical sensors to rapidly locate and track satellites through full-day and full-dark conditions and provide multi-phenomenology confirmation of satellite location and maneuvers.