Space surveillance

Space surveillance is the study and monitoring of satellites orbiting the earth. It involves the detection, tracking, cataloging and identification of artificial objects, i.e. active/inactive satellites, spent rocket bodies, or fragmentation debris.

Aims

Space surveillance accomplishes the following:

• Predicting when and where a decaying space object will re-enter the Earth's atmosphere;
• Preventing a returning space object, which to radar looks like a missile, from triggering a false alarm in missile-attack warning sensors;
• Charting the present position of space objects and plot their anticipated orbital paths;
• Detecting new man-made objects in space;
• Producing a running catalogue of man-made space objects;
• Determining which country owns a re-entering space object;
• Informing countries whether or not objects may interfere with satellites and International Space Station orbits;
• Providing data for future anti-satellite weapons systems.

Systems

Systems include:

• The United States Space Surveillance Network which has detectors such as the Space Fence (replacing the now defunct Air Force Space Surveillance System) and Space Surveillance Telescope
• The Russian Main Control Centre of Outer Space with facilities such as Okno and Krona
• The European Space Situational Awareness Programme with multiple assets in its Space Surveillance and Tracking Segment

References