Space Zoo Patrol – Space Debris Tracking

By   Dr. Darren McKnight, Senior Technical Fellow, LeoLabs

  1.  What is the name of this technology? 

The global network of 10 LeoLabs phased array space (multiple radars combined whose amplitude and phase signals can be controlled radars by computers to adjust the direction of their signal), located at six different locations on three continents, looks up into space and measures objects larger than 10 cm. This results in a persistent space surveillance capability; this is a cosmic “neighborhood watch”.

  1. What is goal / what does it do?

These radars, supported by a web-based computational engine, provide regular updates of the nearly 23,000 space objects (larger than 10 cm) that orbit the Earth below 2,000 km altitude (i.e., low Earth orbit – LEO). These objects fall into one of three families:

  • operational satellites performing valuable missions such as remote sensing, voice communications, global connectivity (i.e., internet service), weather observations, early warning, etc.;
  • intact hardware that no longer provides any useful service (e.g., satellites that no longer work and rocket bodies abandoned after they deliver a satellite to its operational orbit); and
  • fragments from satellites that have either exploded or disintegrated when colliding with another space object. There have been over 200 space objects that have fragmented in LEO.
  •  
  1. How does it work?

A radar emits radio frequency energy into space. If it encounters a space object, part of the transmitted energy is reflected back to the radar site that originally sent the energy into space. These returns are used to determine the position, velocity, and size of each space object. Our radars work very similarly to “radar speed guns” that the police use to catch cars speeding on highways.

  1. How is it better than the older technology?

Telescopes have been used for centuries to look up into space and observe planets and stars, and now even manmade objects. However, telescopes can only provide observations when the space object is lit by the Sun and the telescope is in the dark. In addition, telescopes cannot see through clouds whereas the radio frequency used by radars can work night or day and under any weather conditions. Radars were first used widely in World War II to be able to observe aircraft from miles away to provide warning for military commanders.

  1. What classes should I take in school to work on this?

Mathematics and science are the foundation for being able to understand how we operate in outer space and provide insights to help spacecraft operate safely through space surveillance systems such as the LeoLabs space radars.

  1. Pictures

 

The figure below shows the locations of the LeoLabs radar sites around the world.

Space Debris Tracking 1

The photograph below shows the two radars at the Azores in Portugal. Each radar has two troughs – one to transmit the radio frequency (RF) energy into space and one to receive the energy reflected off space objects. As a result, these four troughs represent two completely independent, functioning radars.

Space Debris Tracking 2

The figure below shows several distinct “neighborhoods” in low Earth orbit (LEO) with the mix of operational payloads, rocket bodies, non-operational payloads, and fragments determined from the LeoLabs radars.

Space Debris Tracking 3

  1. Links

LeoLabs Visualization platform Low Earth Orbit Visualization | LeoLabs

LeoLabs web site Low Earth Orbit Visualization | LeoLabs