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  • 2015-2019  (4)
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  • 1
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    The Population of Optically Faint GEO Debris (2016)
    In:  CASI
    Details
    Publication Date: 2019-07-19
    Description: The 6.5-m Magellan telescope 'Walter Baade' at the Las Campanas Observatory in Chile has been used for spot surveys of the GEO orbital regime to study the population of optically faint GEO debris. The goal is to estimate the size of the population of GEO debris at sizes much smaller than can be studied with 1-meter class telescopes. Despite the small size of the field of view of the Magellan instrument (diameter 0.5-degree), a significant population of objects fainter than R = 19th magnitude have been found with angular rates consistent with circular orbits at GEO. We compare the size of this population with the numbers of GEO objects found at brighter magnitudes by smaller telescopes. The observed detections have a wide range in characteristics starting with those appearing as short uniform streaks. But there are a substantial number of detections with variations in brightness, flashers, during the 5-second exposure. The duration of each of these flashes can be extremely brief: sometimes less than half a second. This is characteristic of a rapidly tumbling object with a quite variable projected size times albedo. If the albedo is of the order of 0.2, then the largest projected size of these objects is around 10-cm. The data in this paper was collected over the last several years using Magellan's IMACS camera in f/2 mode. The analysis shows the brightness bins for the observed GEO population as well as the periodicity of the flashers. All objects presented are correlated with the catalog: the focus of the paper will be on the uncorrelated, optically faint, objects. The goal of this project is to better characterize the faint debris population in GEO that access to a 6.5-m optical telescope in a superb site can provide.
    Keywords: Astronomy
    Type: JSC-CN-36477 , AMOS Technical Conference; Sep 20, 2016 - Sep 23, 2016; Maui, HI; United States
    Format: application/pdf
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    NASA TECHNICAL REPORTS
  • 2
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    Characterizing the Survey Strategy and Initial Orbit Determination Abilities of the NASA MCAT Telescope for Geosynchronous Orbital Debris Environmental Studies (2017)
    In:  CASI
    Details
    Publication Date: 2019-07-13
    Description: The NASA Orbital Debris Program Office (ODPO) recently commissioned the Meter Class Autonomous Telescope (MCAT) on Ascension Island with the primary goal of obtaining population statistics of the geosynchronous (GEO) orbital debris environment. To help facilitate this, studies have been conducted using MCAT's known and projected capabilities to estimate the accuracy and timeliness in which it can survey the GEO environment. A simulated GEO debris population is created and sampled at various cadences and run through the Constrained Admissible Region Multi Hypotheses Filter (CAR-MHF). The orbits computed from the results are then compared to the simulated data to assess MCAT's ability to determine accurately the orbits of debris at various sample rates. Additionally, estimates of the rate at which MCAT will be able produce a complete GEO survey are presented using collected weather data and the proposed observation data collection cadence. The specific methods and results are presented here.
    Keywords: Space Sciences (General)
    Type: JSC-CN-40380 , Advanced Maui Optical and Space Surveillance Conference; Sep 19, 2017 - Sep 22, 2017; Maui, HI; United States
    Format: application/pdf
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    NASA TECHNICAL REPORTS
  • 3
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    The Small Size Debris Population at GEO from Optical Observations (2017)
    In:  CASI
    Details
    Publication Date: 2019-07-13
    Description: We have observed the geosynchronous orbit (GEO) debris population at sizes smaller than 10 cm using optical observations with the 6.5-m Magellan telescope 'Walter Baade' at the Las Campanas Observatory in Chile. The IMACS f/2 imaging camera with a 0.5-degree diameter field of view has been used in small area surveys of the GEO regime to study the population of optically faint GEO debris. The goal is to estimate the population of GEO debris that is fainter than can be studied with 1-meter class telescopes. A significant population of objects fainter than R = 19th magnitude has been found. These objects have observed with angular rates consistent with circular orbits and orbital inclinations up to 15 degrees at GEO. A sizeable number of these objects have significant brightness variations ("flashes") during the 5-second exposure, which suggest rapid changes in the albedo-projected size product.
    Keywords: Astronomy
    Type: JSC-CN-39269 , European Conference on Space Debris; Apr 18, 2017 - Apr 21, 2017; Darmstadt; Germany
    Format: application/pdf
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    NASA TECHNICAL REPORTS
  • 4
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    Observing Strategies for Focused Orbital Debris Surveys Using the Magellan Telescope (2017)
    In:  CASI
    Details
    Publication Date: 2019-07-19
    Description: A breakup of the Titan 3C-17 Transtage rocket body was reported to have occurred on June 4th, 2014 at 02:38 UT by the Space Surveillance Network (SSN). Five objects were associated with this breakup and this is the fourth breakup known for this class of object. There are likely many more objects associated with this event that are not within the Space Surveillance Network's ability to detect and have not been catalogued. Several months after the breakup, observing time was obtained on the Magellan Baade 6.5 meter telescope to be used for observations of geosynchronous (GEO) space debris targets. Using the NASA Standard Satellite Breakup Model (SSBM), a simulated debris cloud of the recent Transtage breakup was produced and propagated forward in time. This provided right ascension, declination, and tracking rate predictions for where debris associated with this breakup may be more likely to be found in the sky over Magellan for our observing run. Magellan observations were then optimized using the angles and tracking rates from the model predictions to focus the search for Transtage debris. Data were collected and analysed and preliminary comparisons made between the number of objects detected and the number expected from the model. We present our results here.
    Keywords: Space Transportation and Safety
    Type: JSC-CN-38179 , European Conference on Space Debris; Apr 18, 2017 - Apr 21, 2017; Darmstadt; Germany
    Format: application/pdf
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    NASA TECHNICAL REPORTS
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