Orbital Debris Radar Measurements from the Haystack Ultra-Wideband Satellite Imaging Radar (HUSIR): 2014-2017

[摘要] For many years, the NASA Orbital Debris Program Office (ODPO) has partnered with the U.S. Department of Defense and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Lincoln Laboratory (MIT/LL) to collect data on the orbital debris environment using the Haystack radar. These measurements are used to characterize the small debris environment in low Earth orbit (LEO), down to a noise-limited size of approximately 5 mm—depending on altitude. The Haystack radar operated by MIT Lincoln Lab underwent upgrades starting in May 2010, with operations resuming in 2014 as the Haystack Ultra-wideband Satellite Imaging Radar (HUSIR). Hence, the data collected beginning in 2014 represents the first dataset available from this upgraded sensor. HUSIR is the primary source of data used by the ODPO to statistically sample orbital debris in the 5-mm to 10-cm size regime in LEO and is a key source of data to build and validate the NASA Orbital Debris Engineering Model. In this paper, we will present recent results from measurements performed during the US Government fiscal years 2014 – 2017. Using the NASA Size Estimation Model, a method based on laboratory radar measurements of debris, we will compare the size distributions of selected orbital debris populations over this 4-year period and flux measurements of orbital debris greater than 1 cm.The NASA Orbital Debris Program Office (ODPO) relies primarily on ground-based radar measurements tocharacterize the distribution of small debris in low Earth orbit (LEO). The Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyLincoln Laboratory (MIT/LL) has collected radar measurements for the NASA ODPO for nearly three decadesunder memorandums of agreement with the U.S. Department of Defense. Beginning with the Haystack radar inOctober 1990 and supplemented by the Haystack Auxiliary Radar (HAX) radar in March 1994, the NASA ODPOnominally receives 1000 hours of data collected per fiscal year (FY). The Haystack radar operated by MIT/LLunderwent upgrades starting in May 2010, with operations resuming in 2014 as the Haystack Ultra-widebandSatellite Imaging Radar (HUSIR). Hence, the data collected beginning in 2014 represents the first dataset availablefrom this upgraded sensor.Due to the sensitivity of these radars, NASA ODPO is able to sample the orbital debris environment down toapproximately 3 cm with HAX and 5 mm with HUSIR to an altitude of up to 1000 km. NASA ODPO uses datacollected by HUSIR and HAX to characterize the orbital debris environment in altitude, inclination, and size for alarge fraction of LEO (altitude < 2000 km) and orbits traversing LEO.In this paper, we will present recent results from measurements performed during the years FY2014 – FY2017 withHUSIR. Using the NASA Size Estimation Model, a method based on laboratory radar measurements of debris, wewill compare the size distributions of selected orbital debris populations over this 4-year period and fluxmeasurements of orbital debris greater than 1 cm.An in depth discussion of the NASA ODPO radar data collection, signal processing, and data analysis on datadelivered from MIT/LL is available in [1].2 DATA COLLECTION OVERVIEWAs mentioned in section 1, the dataset presented in this paper was collected from FY2014 to FY2017 using theHUSIR radar after the Haystack radar underwent a significant upgrade to incorporate a W-band transmitter and

[发布日期] 2019-12-09

[学科分类] 空间科学

[关键词] DATA ACQUISITION;DEFENSE PROGRAM;IMAGING RADAR;LOW EARTH ORBITS;RADAR MEASUREMENT;SPACE DEBRIS