Satellite Tracking with Telescope and Software

Abstract

Space is becoming increasingly congested and contested as small satellites, to include CubeSats, are launched in greater numbers. The Space Systems Academic Group at the Naval Postgraduate School purchased an advanced commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) telescope from Meade Instruments (model LX600) with the goal of tracking CubeSats and as an educational tool for postgraduate students. This thesis specifies a plan, based on research and proof-of-concept testing, for NPS to create an automated (closed-loop) optical telescope system capable of detecting and tracking CubeSats in low Earth orbit. Satellite tracking will be a new capability for NPS, and will allow for future work in multiple areas, to include orbit determination, space situational awareness, and laser communications. This thesis recommends additional equipment, dedicated software, and permanent staging of the telescope system in order to attain a closed-loop satellite tracking system with an optical telescope.

Document Details

• Document Type: Technical Report
• Publication Date: Sep 01, 2019
• Accession Number: AD1086919

Entities

People

• Laura G. Anderson

Organizations

• Naval Postgraduate School

Tags

Communities of Interest

• Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

• Aphelions
• Artificial Satellites
• Cameras
• Closed Loop Systems
• Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductors
• Computer Programs
• Computers
• Coordinate Systems
• Earth Orbits
• Elliptical Orbits
• Geosynchronous Orbits
• Global Positioning Systems
• Laser Communications
• Low Earth Orbits
• Operating Systems
• Orbits
• Satellite Tracking Systems
• Situational Awareness
• Small Satellites
• Space Situational Awareness
• Space Systems

Readers

• Enterprise Information Systems Architecture and Joint Command Capability Interoperability Support.
• Robotics and Automation.
• Space Exploration and Orbital Mechanics.

Technology Areas

• Directed Energy
• Space
• Space - Satellites
• Space - Space Objects