The debris objects shown in the images are an artist’s impression based on actual density data. However, the debris is shown at an exaggerated size to make it visible on the scale as shown. Credit: ESA
- Survey of Led Geosynchronous Orbital Debris University of Warwick Found more than 75% debris, does not match known objects in the public satellite catalog
- Astronomers are calling for more regular surveys with large telescopes to determine the dangers to active satellites.
- Many of the many objects display optical signatures of tumbling, providing an understanding of the dynamic evolution of debris within a geographically synchronous environment.
- The first installment of Debriswatch, ongoing collaboration between the University of Warwick and the Defense Science and Technology Laboratory (UK)
University of Warwick astronomers are warning that orbital debris posing a threat to operational satellites will not be monitored, as they discovered that more than 75% of orbital debris does not match known objects in public satellite catalogs. .
Astronomers are calling for more regular deep scales of orbital debris at communicity to help characterize resident objects and better determine hazards for active satellites, in which we rely on essential services, including communications, weather monitoring and navigation.
The research is part of the Debrisatch, an ongoing collaboration between the University of Warwick and the Defense Science and Technology Laboratory (UK), aimed at providing a new impetus to past geological irrigation survey. The results are reported in the journal Progress in space research. The research was part-funded by the UK Council for Science and Technology (STFC) as part of research and innovation and supported by the Royal Society.
The survey was optimized to detect obscure debris, items that are too small or poorly reflected to be monitored regularly and recorded in publicly available catalogs. U.S. Strategic Command (USSRTcom) maintains a complete public inventory of space objects, including 6 satellites in orbit using its Global Space Surveillance Network (SSN), including more than 30 ground-based radar and optical telescopes. doing. The SSN-capable itude is able to observe weights of approximately 1 m in diameter. Although some inhabitants of the geo-synchronous region are often referred to as ‘stationary’, collisions can occur with a relative velocity of kilometers per second. With this in mind, even small objects can do a lot of damage to an active satellite.
The survey images were analyzed using a custom software pipeline designed to select the candidate’s debris and check its brightness over time. The resulting ‘light curves’ include their own shapes, surface properties and trends about the objects themselves, but are also influenced by other factors such as geometry and atmospheric interference. Separating these components is a very difficult task, and a large amount of high quality information will be the key to the development and refinement of the necessary technologies.
Astronomers have focused their surveys on the equatorial region, a geo-synchronous field about 36,000 kilometers away, where satellites orbit with time matching the Earth’s orbit. At the top of the outer layer of the Earth’s atmosphere, there are no natural mechanisms (such as atmospheric gravity) that induce orbital decay, so debris buried near the geological zone will actually be there for a very long time.
To help them figure out the sculptural debris, astronomers used the Isaac Newton Telescope on the Canary Islands of La Palma, with a large hole of 2.54 meters, allowing it to collect photons of light over a large area. The sunlight reflecting the objects of the candidates objects falls within the same pixels of the camera, to increase their detection probability, they used optimized optimization strategy. Sky strips were scanned along the geostationary belt and below, where most operational geosynchronous satellites reside.
Most orbital tracks discovered by astronomers had a uniform luminosity of about 1 meter or less. Sure enough, more than 95% of these futile investigations have failed to get to the publicly available USSRTTCom catalog with known object budgets, as they are too dizzy to be monitored regularly and reliably by SSN. When researchers included all of their investigations – including 1M above and below – more than 75% failed to match.
Lead author James Blake, a PhD student at the University of Warwick’s Department of Physics, said: Inside the orbit, many dizzy, uncontrollable debris appears to be weakening, showing the bright variation around the observation window. Such features can tell a lot about the psychological powers expressed on the inhabitants of the area of geographical irrigation, but it also highlights that we need to be more careful when making assumptions about the properties of these objects. We need to further investigate the obscure debris population and get more data to get a better understanding of what is there.
“It is important that we continue to observe the geosynchronous field with large telescopes where possible, so that a more complete realization of the circular debris environment can be initiated. With this survey, we’ve scrutinized more than ever before, and the population still seems to be growing as our sensitivity limits are met. When we deal with a small number of figures here, it’s amazing that we see so many smaller, dizzy things than big, bright ones. “
Artificial debris around the Earth can occur for a number of reasons: satellites become debris when they reach the end of their lifespan; Rocket bodies have been abandoned after successfully launching their payloads or may pass into orbit after many years or have a ‘break-up’; Collisions can occur between circulating bodies, sometimes with thousands of new pieces; The harsh atmosphere of space spoils the satellites over time, dropping the insulating bits of blankets and paint flakes.
Astronomers are now examining ways to extract even more information from survey data, using simultaneous observations taken with another, smaller instrument. The survey aims to encourage new collaborations to ensure that they can serve as a gateway to sustainable activity.
Reference: James A. Black, Paul Chote, Don Polco, William Flynn, Grant Privet, Andrew Ash, Stuart Aves, Arthur Greenwood, Nick Harwood, Thamas Mus R Marsh, Dimitri Veras References: 2020, Progress in space research.
DOI: 10.1016 / j.asr.2020.08.008
“This type of data will be important in the development of algorithms to characterize objects in the field of geological irrigation. Remember that we are not dealing with close-up photographs here, even large satellites,” said Professor Don Polco, co-author of the University of Warwick’s Department of Physics. Appears as unresolved blobs of light in our images.Lighter curves offer the best opportunity to learn more about the behavior of these objects and what they can be.The higher the high-quality data we take, the better the opportunity we have to develop these tools. . “
Lead author James Black was an STFC supported student and Dr. Dimitri Veras was an STFC supported ally.
