Maui Space Surveillance System Phased Array

Abstract

Long baseline Interferometry is a technique where light from two or more telescopes is combined, creating interference fringes. Analysis of the interference fringes allows information to be exacted that has the angular resolution of a telescope with the diameter of the separation of the two telescopes. Since it is currently unfeasible to build telescopes with diameters of hundreds of meters, this is the only method to achieve resolution on the order of micro arcseconds. If interferometry could be applied to space surveillance it would offer the potential for sub-centimeter resolution of low-Earth objects. This report investigates the feasibility of constructing an instrument to observe satellites and of placing that instrument at the Maui Space Surveillance System.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Feb 01, 2004
Accession Number
ADA421597

Entities

People

  • Lewis C. Roberts

Organizations

  • Boeing

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Adaptive Optics
  • Air Force Research Laboratories
  • Artificial Satellites
  • Delay Lines
  • Diameters
  • Interferometers
  • Interferometry
  • Measurement
  • Observatories
  • Optics
  • Phased Arrays
  • Radio Interferometers
  • Radio Interferometry
  • Space Surveillance
  • Strehl Ratio
  • Surveillance
  • Telescopes

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Aerospace Engineering.
  • Fluid Dynamics.
  • Systems Analysis and Design

Technology Areas

  • Space
  • Space - Space Objects