Passive Radar-Based Parameter Estimation of Low Earth Orbit Debris Targets
Major space agencies such as NASA and the ESA have long reported the growing dangers caused by resident space objects orbiting our planet. These objects continue to grow in number as satellites are imploded and space debris impacts each other, causing fragmentation. As a result, significant efforts...
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MDPI AG
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Aerospace |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2226-4310/12/1/53 |
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| author | Justin K. A. Henry Ram M. Narayanan |
| author_facet | Justin K. A. Henry Ram M. Narayanan |
| author_sort | Justin K. A. Henry |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Major space agencies such as NASA and the ESA have long reported the growing dangers caused by resident space objects orbiting our planet. These objects continue to grow in number as satellites are imploded and space debris impacts each other, causing fragmentation. As a result, significant efforts by both the public and private sectors are geared towards enhancing space domain awareness capabilities to protect future satellites and astronauts from impact by these orbiting debris. Current approaches and standards implement very large radar arrays, telescopes, and laser ranging systems to detect and track such objects. These systems are very expensive, may take significant amounts of time to develop, and are still only sparingly able to efficiently track debris targets less than 10 cm in diameter. This work proposes a theoretical passive-radar-based method using illuminators of opportunity for detecting space debris while estimating motion direction and Doppler. We show that by using a signal processing chain based on the self-mixing technique and digital filters, Doppler information can be extracted and continuously tracked by a uniform linear receiver array. This can be achieved by a passive sensor system, which has the advantage of lower cost without the need to emit signals that constrain the spectrum sharing issues. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-78c201aebabf4318b974bbbac7840f25 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2226-4310 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Aerospace |
| spelling | doaj-art-78c201aebabf4318b974bbbac7840f252025-01-24T13:15:38ZengMDPI AGAerospace2226-43102025-01-011215310.3390/aerospace12010053Passive Radar-Based Parameter Estimation of Low Earth Orbit Debris TargetsJustin K. A. Henry0Ram M. Narayanan1Department of Electrical Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USADepartment of Electrical Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USAMajor space agencies such as NASA and the ESA have long reported the growing dangers caused by resident space objects orbiting our planet. These objects continue to grow in number as satellites are imploded and space debris impacts each other, causing fragmentation. As a result, significant efforts by both the public and private sectors are geared towards enhancing space domain awareness capabilities to protect future satellites and astronauts from impact by these orbiting debris. Current approaches and standards implement very large radar arrays, telescopes, and laser ranging systems to detect and track such objects. These systems are very expensive, may take significant amounts of time to develop, and are still only sparingly able to efficiently track debris targets less than 10 cm in diameter. This work proposes a theoretical passive-radar-based method using illuminators of opportunity for detecting space debris while estimating motion direction and Doppler. We show that by using a signal processing chain based on the self-mixing technique and digital filters, Doppler information can be extracted and continuously tracked by a uniform linear receiver array. This can be achieved by a passive sensor system, which has the advantage of lower cost without the need to emit signals that constrain the spectrum sharing issues.https://www.mdpi.com/2226-4310/12/1/53passive radarbistaticforward scatterDopplerself-mixinglow earth orbit |
| spellingShingle | Justin K. A. Henry Ram M. Narayanan Passive Radar-Based Parameter Estimation of Low Earth Orbit Debris Targets Aerospace passive radar bistatic forward scatter Doppler self-mixing low earth orbit |
| title | Passive Radar-Based Parameter Estimation of Low Earth Orbit Debris Targets |
| title_full | Passive Radar-Based Parameter Estimation of Low Earth Orbit Debris Targets |
| title_fullStr | Passive Radar-Based Parameter Estimation of Low Earth Orbit Debris Targets |
| title_full_unstemmed | Passive Radar-Based Parameter Estimation of Low Earth Orbit Debris Targets |
| title_short | Passive Radar-Based Parameter Estimation of Low Earth Orbit Debris Targets |
| title_sort | passive radar based parameter estimation of low earth orbit debris targets |
| topic | passive radar bistatic forward scatter Doppler self-mixing low earth orbit |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2226-4310/12/1/53 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT justinkahenry passiveradarbasedparameterestimationoflowearthorbitdebristargets AT rammnarayanan passiveradarbasedparameterestimationoflowearthorbitdebristargets |