Space surveillance technology overview
- Space Surveillance refers to the series of activities that detect, track, estimate the orbit of, identify, and catalog asteroids, satellites, and space debris, including natural space objects.
- The basic types of observation techniques for space objects are optical and radar observation.
- Optical observation generates respective (angle) information. Radar observation generates information such as the distance (range), distance change (range rate), and angle with respect to the observer.
- Currently, KASI has acquired the core technology necessary to develop space surveillance capabilities through the establishment of the OWL-Net optical space surveillance program. Research that will be used to build a radar surveillance system is ongoing.
Detection
Activities to detect incoming satellites and space debris, projectiles, space objects within the observed range of the monitoring facilities
Tracking
Activities to track the object within the initial orbit of ‘detection’
Identification
Activities to identify the mission and nationality of the detected object with the precise orbit elements through ‘detection’ and ‘tracking’
Cataloging
Activities to manage the database of collected data such as name, identification number, orbit elements, mission, etc.