Space Surveillance Telescope (SST)
Abstract
The Space Surveillance Telescope (SST) program has developed and demonstrated an advanced ground-based optical system to enable detection and tracking of faint objects in space, while providing rapid, wide-area search capability. A major goal of the SST program, to develop the technology for large curved focal surface array sensors to enable an innovative telescope design combining high detection sensitivity, short focal length, wide field of view, and rapid step-and-settle to provide orders of magnitude improvements in space surveillance has been achieved. This capability enables ground-based detection of un-cued objects in deep space for purposes such as asteroid detection and space defense missions. The initial program is transitioning to Air Force Space Command. In addition, the program is investigating data fusion and advanced algorithms for correlation of unknown objects. SST is expected to generate a large number of uncorrelated targets (UCTs), and new methods will need to be employed to rapidly characterize and attribute the new objects. Furthermore, the data fusion effort is investigating methods which combine observations from disparate sensors (such as optical and radar installations) to more rapidly, accurately, and completely provide positive identification of orbital objects, rapidly characterize them, and maintain a catalog of determined characteristics. The SST Australia effort will provide a further operational demonstration of the SST at the Naval Communication Station Harold E. Holt near Exmouth, Western Australia. Such a location presents a more operationally relevant demonstration, with a richer and more interesting population of SSA targets in geosynchronous orbit. A demonstration in Australia will investigate telescope performance and observe objects and orbits not visible from the current site in New Mexico. In addition, the demonstration will generate data for analysis and fusion efforts, which will be used to further refine and evaluate data processing techniques, such as those developed under the data fusion effort. This program will address technical challenges which may arise from an Australian site, including adaptations to a different telescope environment, and the logistical and communications challenges presented by a site significantly more remote than the current SST location.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Accomplishment
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 2015
- Source ID
- 7cea3457a6d1fbcbbdea015dc232e80d