ALBERT

Description: NASA's Orbital Debris Program Office (ODPO) will break ground on Ascension Island in 2014 to build the newest optical (0.30 - 1.06 micrometers) ground-based telescope asset dedicated to the study of orbital debris. The Meter Class Autonomous Telescope (MCAT) is a 1.3m optical telescope designed to track objects in orbits ranging from Low Earth Orbit (LEO) to Geosynchronous Earth Orbit (GEO). Ascension Island is located in the South Atlantic Ocean, offering longitudinal sky coverage not afforded by the Ground-based Electro-Optical Deep Space Surveillance (GEODSS) network. With a fast-tracking dome, a suite of visible wide-band filters, and a time-delay integration (TDI) capable camera, MCAT is capable of multiple observing modes ranging from tracking cataloged debris targets to surveying the overall debris environment. Access to the United Kingdom Infrared Telescope (UKIRT) will extend our spectral coverage into the near- (0.8-5 micrometers) and mid- to far-infrared (8-25 micrometers) regime. UKIRT is a 3.8m telescope located on Mauna Kea on the Big Island of Hawaii. At nearly 14,000-feet and above the atmospheric inversion layer, this is one of the premier astronomical sites in the world and is an ideal setting for an infrared telescope. An unprecedented one-third of this telescope's time has been allocated to collect orbital debris data for NASA's ODPO over a 2-year period. UKIRT has several instruments available to obtain low-resolution spectroscopy in both the near-IR and the mid/far-IR. Infrared spectroscopy is ideal for constraining the material types, albedos and sizes of debris targets, and potentially gaining insight into reddening effects caused by space weathering. In addition, UKIRT will be used to acquire broadband photometric imaging at GEO with the Wide Field Camera (WFCAM) for studying known objects of interest as well as collecting data in survey-mode to discover new targets. Results from the first stage of the debris campaign will be presented. The combination of these ground-based telescope assets will yield spectral coverage ranging from 0.3 - 25 micrmeters, allowing orbital debris to be studied in depth across a wider wavelength range in the visible and IR than ever previously studied by ODPO. Located on opposite sides of the world and in opposite hemispheres, they offer access to nearly the entire GEO belt on any given night, allowing immediate coverage of nearly any time-critical break-up event. By expanding the methods for surveying, detecting, and characterizing orbital debris, we can better model the debris environment and ultimately gain insight into how to mitigate potential collisions for future missions.

Description: There have been extensive optical surveys for debris at geosynchronous orbit (GEO) conducted with meter-class telescopes, such as those conducted with MODEST (the Michigan Orbital DEbris Survey Telescope, a 0.6-m telescope located at Cerro Tololo in Chile), and the European Space Agency's 1.0-m space debris telescope (SDT) in the Canary Islands. These surveys have detection limits in the range of 18th or 19th magnitude, which corresponds to sizes larger than 10 cm assuming an albedo of 0.175. All of these surveys reveal a substantial population of objects fainter than R = 15th magnitude that are not in the public U.S. Satellite Catalog. To detect objects fainter than 20th magnitude (and presumably smaller than 10 cm) in the visible requires a larger telescope and excellent imaging conditions. This combination is available in Chile. NASA's Orbital Debris Program Office has begun collecting orbital debris observations with the 6.5-m (21.3-ft diameter) "Walter Baade" Magellan telescope at Las Campanas Observatory. The goal is to detect objects as faint as possible from a ground-based observatory and begin to understand the brightness distribution of GEO debris fainter than R = 20th magnitude.

Description: Defining the risks present to both crewed and robotic spacecrafts is part of NASA s mission, and is critical to keep these resources out of harm s way. Characterizing orbital debris is an essential part of this mission. We present a proof-of-concept study that employs multiple techniques to demonstrate the efficacy of each approach. The targets of this study are IDCSPs (Initial Defense Communications Satellite Program). 35 of these satellites were launched by the US in the mid-1960s and were the first US military communications satellites in the GEO regime. They were emplaced in slightly sub-synchronous orbits. These targets were chosen for this proof-of-concept study for the simplicity of their observable exterior surfaces. The satellites are 26-sided polygons (86cm in diameter), initially spin-stabilized, and covered on all sides in solar panels. Data presented here include: (a) visible broadband photometry (Johnson/Kron-Cousins BVRI) taken with the 0.9m SMARTs telescope (Small and Medium Aperture Telescopes) at the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (CTIO) in Chile in April, 2012, (b) laboratory broadband photometry (Johnson/ Bessell BVRI) of solar cells, obtained using the Optical Measurements Center (OMC) at NASA/JSC [1], (c) visible-band spectra taken using the Magellan 6.5m Baade Telescope at Las Campanas Observatory in Chile in May, 2012 [2], and (d) visible-band laboratory spectra of solar cells using an ASD Field Spectrometer. Color-color plots using broadband photometry (e.g. B-R vs. B-V) demonstrate that different material types fall into distinct areas on the plots [1]. Spectra of the same material types as those plotted in the color-color plots each display their own signature as well. Here, we compare lab data with telescopic data, and photometric results with spectroscopic results. The spectral response of solar cells in the visible wavelength regime varies from relatively flat to somewhat older solar cells whose reflectivity can be gently or sharply peaked in the blue. With a target like IDCSPs, the material type is known a priori, aiding in understanding how material type affects one s observations.

Description: The United Kingdom Infrared Telescope (UKIRT) has been a major asset for the NASA Orbital Debris Program Office (OPDO) since March, 2014. With the UKIRT current contract coming to an end at the finish of FY15, there is a golden opportunity for this community to fund and gain access to UKIRT as an SSA asset through HCAR (Hawaii Center for Astronautics Research). UKIRT is the only telescope on Mauna Kea dedicated to infrared bands. Spectral coverage ranges from the near- (0.8-5m) to the mid- to far-infrared (8-25 micrometer) regime. To date, debris observations have been collected with three instruments. Near-Infrared photometry with ZYJHK filters has been obtained with the Wide Field Camera (WFCam). Near-Infrared (1-2.5 micrometer) spectra are the focus of observations taken with the UKIRT Imager SpecTrometer (UIST). And Michelle (Mid Infrared escCHELLE) is a thermal imager-spectrometer designed for the 8-25 micrometer regime. With 35% of the telescope time allocated to ODPO, a very steady stream of data has been collected on a variety of debris targets using all the above instrumentation. Initial results from WFCam were discussed at AMOS and NISOI including analyses on IDCSPs, the MSG cooler and baffle covers. The cylindrical HS-376 buses were the focus of recent WFCam runs. Summary analyses of these works will be presented. Focus will be given to initial results of the data collected with the Cassegrain instruments, UIST and Michelle. UIST spectra were collected in September 2014, March and April 2015. Targets included a suite of HS-376 buses, well suited to investigate the signatures of blue solar panels; several dead satellites with solar array wings; Titan 3C transtage debris; the CTA Array cover, and others. In addition, Michelle mid-IR photometry was collected on a select few objects during the April 2015 run. Using WFCam, UIST and Michelle the Lockheed Martin has been observing operational satellites in the near- mid and far-infrared regime in an attempt to understand the health and status of several satellites that are based on the Lockheed Martin A2100 bus. The potential insights into debris characterization using this range of assets, and early analyses will be discussed, as well as the opportunities possible for utilizing UKIRT as an SSA asset.

Description: Existing DoD and NASA satellite breakup models are based on a key laboratory-based test, Satellite Orbital debris Characterization Impact Test (SOCIT), which has supported many applications and matched on-orbit events involving older satellite designs reasonably well over the years. In order to update and improve the break-up models and the NASA Size Estimation Model (SEM) for events involving more modern satellite designs, the NASA Orbital Debris Program Office has worked in collaboration with the University of Florida to replicate a hypervelocity impact using a satellite built with modern-day spacecraft materials and construction techniques. The spacecraft, called DebriSat, was intended to be a representative of modern LEO satellites and all major designs decisions were reviewed and approved by subject matter experts at Aerospace Corporation. DebriSat is composed of 7 major subsystems including attitude determination and control system (ADCS), command and data handling (C&DH), electrical power system (EPS), payload, propulsion, telemetry tracking and command (TT&C), and thermal management. To reduce cost, most components are emulated based on existing design of flight hardware and fabricated with the same materials. All fragments down to 2 mm is size will be characterized via material, size, shape, bulk density, and the associated data will be stored in a database for multiple users to access. Laboratory radar and optical measurements will be performed on a subset of fragments to provide a better understanding of the data products from orbital debris acquired from ground-based radars and telescopes. The resulting data analysis from DebriSat will be used to update break-up models and develop the first optical SEM in conjunction with updates into the current NASA SEM. The characterization of the fragmentation will be discussed in the subsequent presentation.

Description: NASA has successfully constructed the 1.3m Meter Class Autonomous Telescope (MCAT) facility on Ascension Island in the South Atlantic Ocean. MCAT is an optical telescope designed specifically to collect ground-based data for the statistical characterization of orbital debris ranging from Low Earth Orbit (LEO) through Middle Earth Orbits (MEO) and beyond to Geo Transfer and Geosynchronous Orbits (GTO/GEO). The location of Ascension Island has two distinct advantages. First, the near-equatorial location fills a significant longitudinal gap in the Ground-based Electro-Optical Deep Space Surveillance (GEODSS) network of telescopes, and second, it allows access to objects in Low Inclination Low-Earth Orbits (LILO). The MCAT facility will be controlled by a sophisticated software suite that operates the dome and telescope, assesses sky and weather conditions, conducts all necessary calibrations, defines an observing strategy (as dictated by weather, sky conditions and the observing plan for the night), and carries out the observations. It then reduces the collected data via four primary observing modes ranging from tracking previously cataloged objects to conducting general surveys for detecting uncorrelated debris. Nightly observing plans, as well as the resulting text file of reduced data, will be transferred to and from Ascension, respectively, via a satellite connection. Post-processing occurs at NASA Johnson Space Center. Construction began in September, 2014 with dome and telescope installation occurring in April through early June, 2015. First light was achieved in June, 2015. Acceptance testing, full commissioning, and calibration of this soon-to-be fully autonomous system commenced in summer 2015. The initial characterization of the system from these tests is presented herein.

Description: To recover the size of a space debris object from photometric measurements, it is necessary to determine its albedo and basic shape: if the albedo is known, the reflective area can be calculated; and if the shape is known, the shape and area taken together can be used to estimate a characteristic dimension. Albedo is typically determined by inferring the object s material type from filter photometry or spectroscopy and is not the subject of the present study. Object shape, on the other hand, can be revealed from a time-history of the object s brightness response. The most data-rich presentation is a continuous light-curve that records the object s brightness for an entire sensor pass, which could last for tens of minutes to several hours: from this one can see both short-term periodic behavior as well as brightness variations with phase angle. Light-curve interpretation, however, is more art than science and does not lend itself easily to automation; and the collection method, which requires single-object telescope dedication for long periods of time, is not well suited to debris survey conditions. So one is led to investigate how easily an object s brightness phase function, which can be constructed from the more survey-friendly point photometry, can be used to recover object shape. Such a recovery is usually attempted by comparing a phase-function curve constructed from an object s empirical brightness measurements to analytically-derived curves for basic shapes or shape combinations. There are two ways to accomplish this: a simple averaged brightness-versus phase curve assembled from the empirical data, or a more elaborate approach in which one is essentially calculating a brightness PDF for each phase angle bin (a technique explored in unpublished AFRL/RV research and in Ojakangas 2011); in each case the empirical curve is compared to analytical results for shapes of interest. The latter technique promises more discrimination power but requires more data; the former can be assembled in its essentials from fewer measurements but will be less definitive in its assignments. The goal of the present study is to evaluate both techniques under debris survey conditions to determine their relative performance and, additionally, to learn precisely how a survey should be conducted in order to maximize their performance. Because the distendedness of objects has more of an effect than their precise shape in calculating a characteristic dimension, one is interested in the techniques discrimination ability to distinguish between an elongated rectangular prism and a short rectangular prism or cube, or an elongated cylinder from a squat cylinder or sphere. Sensitivity studies using simulated data will be conducted to determine discrimination power for both techniques as a function of amount of data collected and range (and specific region) of phase angles sampled. Empirical GEODSS photometry data for distended objects (dead payloads with solar panels, rocket bodies) and compact objects (cubesats, calibration spheres, squat payloads) will also be used to test this discrimination ability. The result will be a recommended technique and data collection paradigm for debris surveys in order to maximize this type of discrimination.

Description: No abstract available

Description: No abstract available