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Micro Doppler signatures observed on space debris with VLBI radio telescopes
Presented by:
Guifré Molera Calves
Guifré Molera Calvés
University of Tasmania/HENSOLDT Australia
Shinji Horiuchi
CSIRO
Marina Buttfield-Addison
University of Tasmania/CSIRO
Simon Ellingsen
University of Tasmania
We have conducted a series of bi-static radar experiments in 2021/22 to characterise space debris and near-earth asteroids. These experiments are a joined effort with NASA Deep Space Network (DSN) station in Canberra, Jet Propulsion Lab, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) and the University of Tasmania. We use the DSN station from Tidbinbilla to transmit a carrier signal at S-band or X-band to the target of interest. The signal reflected at the target is then captured with the ground-based radio telescopes that are following its orbit. The CSIRO Australia Telescopes Compact Array and three of the UTAS radio telescopes have taken part in several of these experiments.
In March 2021, we used this technique to track the motion of the Atlas 5 centaur rocket/body, known as 2015-056B. The object is a remnant of rocket launched in 2015 and it has an elliptical orbit around the Earth at around 30000 km altitude. The rocket body has a cylindric shape of 3x12 metres. The radar tracking lasted for about 3 hours, and it was detected at all sites. The post-processing of the recovered carrier signal presents a micro-Doppler pattern, indicating a rotation of about 220 seconds around its axis. Other results from this experiment will be presented at the ASRC.
Category:
SSA
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