DATAWorks 2020: Characterizing the Orbital Debris Environment Using Satellite Perturbation Data

Abstract

The untracked orbital debris environment has been described as one of the most serious risks to the survivability of satellites inhigh-traffic low Earth orbits, where acute satellite population growth is taking place. This poster describes a method for correlatingobserved satellite orbital changes with orbital debris impacts, and demonstrates how populations of small debris (< 1 cm) can becharacterized by directly examining the orbit and attitude changes of individual satellites within constellations. The poster alsopresents means for detecting unusual movements and other anomalies (e.g., communication losses) in individual satellites andsatellite constellations using the Space Surveillance Network, other space surveillance sensors, and in situ methods. Finally, theposter discusses how an anomaly data archive and policy repository might be established, supporting an improved definition of theorbital debris environment in harmony with the Presidents Space Policy Directive 3.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Mar 01, 2020
Accession Number
AD1123170

Entities

People

  • Asha Balakrishnan
  • Daniel L. Pechkis
  • Joel E. Williamsen
  • Stephen M. Ouellette

Organizations

  • Institute for Defense Analyses

Tags

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Abstracts
  • Altitude
  • Artificial Satellites
  • Constellations
  • Debris
  • Department Of Defense
  • Directives
  • Earth Orbits
  • Environment
  • Low Earth Orbits
  • Orbits
  • Particle Size
  • Particles
  • Perturbations
  • Satellite Constellations
  • Space Debris
  • Space Objects
  • Space Surveillance
  • Spacecraft
  • Spacecraft Orbits
  • Test And Evaluation
  • Virginia

Readers

  • Academic Conference Management
  • Space Exploration and Orbital Mechanics.
  • Strategic Security Studies

Technology Areas

  • Space
  • Space - Orbital Debris
  • Space - Satellites