Daylight space debris laser ranging
| Autor: | Tim Flohrer, Beatriz Jilete, Georg Kirchner, Franz Koidl, Peiyuan Wang, Michael Steindorfer |
|---|---|
| Jazyk: | angličtina |
| Rok vydání: | 2020 |
| Předmět: |
0301 basic medicine
business.product_category media_common.quotation_subject Science General Physics and Astronomy 02 engineering and technology General Biochemistry Genetics and Molecular Biology Article law.invention 03 medical and health sciences Space physics law Daylight lcsh:Science Remote sensing media_common Multidisciplinary Satellite laser ranging General Chemistry 021001 nanoscience & nanotechnology Laser Retroreflector 030104 developmental biology Rocket Sky Physics::Space Physics Environmental science lcsh:Q Astrophysics::Earth and Planetary Astrophysics 0210 nano-technology business Space debris |
| Zdroj: | Nature Communications, Vol 11, Iss 1, Pp 1-6 (2020) Nature Communications |
| ISSN: | 2041-1723 |
| Popis: | Satellite laser ranging allows to measure distances to satellites equipped with retroreflectors in orbits up to 36000 km. Utilizing a higher powered laser, space debris laser ranging detects diffuse reflections from defunct satellites or rocket bodies up to a distance of 3000 km. So far space debris laser ranging was only possible within a few hours around twilight while it is dark at the satellite laser ranging station and space debris is illuminated by the sun. Here we present space debris laser ranging results during daylight. Space debris objects are visualized against the blue sky background and biases corrected in real-time. The results are a starting point for all space debris laser ranging stations to drastically increase their output in the near future. A network of a few stations worldwide will be able to improve orbital predictions significantly as necessary for removal missions, conjunction warnings, avoidance maneuvers or attitude determination. Space debris laser ranging is a technique to measure distances to defunct satellites or rocket bodies in orbits around Earth which was only possible within a few hours around twilight. Here, the authors show the first space debris laser ranging results during daylight while correcting inaccurate predictions using a real-time target detection software. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
| Externí odkaz: |
|