DARPA Perspective on Space Situational Awareness

Lt Col Travis Blake, Ph.D, Program Manager, Tactical Technology Office

International Symposium on Sustainable Space Development and Space Situational Awareness 2015

February 26-27, 2015

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Sputnik

34th President of the United States 1953-1961. Coined the term “military-industrial complex” and warned against its unwarranted influence. Created DARPA in response to Sputnik.

First orbiting satellite. The satellite was not a threat, but the level of technology indicated that the Soviet Union possessed superior capability for intercontinental reconnaissance and bombing.

Dwight D. Eisenhower

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DARPA

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The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) was established in 1958 to prevent strategic surprise from negatively affecting U.S. national security and create strategic surprise for U.S. adversaries by maintaining the technological superiority of the U.S. military. To fulfill its mission, the Agency relies on diverse performers to apply multi-disciplinary approaches to both advance knowledge through basic research and create innovative technologies that address current practical problems through applied research. As the DoD’s primary innovation engine, DARPA undertakes projects that are finite in duration but that create lasting revolutionary change.

Mission

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Launch: • Flexible, affordable access to include augmentation and reconstitution

• Aircraft-like space access to lower cost and increase capabilities • New advances in propellants and rocket design

Satellite: • Changing the paradigm of satellite operations

• Rapid small satellite constellation capability • GEO space robotics

• Repair and assembly capabilities could help create new architectures such as propellant depots

Space Domain Awareness (SDA): • Real-time space domain awareness

• Real-time detection, tracking, and attribution versus catalog maintenance and days to weeks of forensics

• Enhance the safety of space operations

DARPA Vision for Robust Space

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Space Domain Awareness (SDA) Today ~16,000+ objects in 1014 km3 (240,000 oceans)

GEO

MEO

Can characterize †

Nu

mbe

r of

Obj

ects

LEO Known

objects in LEO orbit ≈ 12,020

Can’t detect & track Can detect & track †

Can characterize † Can’t detect & track Can detect & track †

Can characterize † Can’t detect & track Can detect & track †

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Size of Objects (RCS m2)

U.S. satellites International satellites U.S. debris International debris

KEY

† Cannot detect, track and characterize every object simultaneously

Known objects in MEO orbit ≈ 1,890

SWISSCUBE RCS: 0.041 m2

COSMOS 2080 RCS: 1.0 m2

NAVSTAR 64 RCS: 6.3 m2

ISS RCS: 227.8 m2

Vanguard 1 RCS: 0.11 m2

Known objects in GEO orbit ≈ 1,840

*data as of 2015 Approved for Public Release, Distribution Unlimited.

Space Domain Awareness (SDA) Goals

Detect / Track / ID: • Search, discover, and maintain custody of ~15,000+ space objects, and activity in 1014 km3

of orbital space Characterization: • Distinguish between space objects, their type and use

• Differentiate between traffic, debris, space system anomalies and space weather effects

• Recognize routine activity and maneuvers and warn about dangerous or malicious activity

Data Integration and Exploitation: • Fuse all available multi-source data, automated algorithms, and other decision tools

• Provide actionable decision information for space operations

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Real-time Space Domain Awareness (SDA) versus current practice of orbital catalog maintenance

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Space Surveillance Telescope (SST)

• Searches an area in space the size of the United States in seconds, and can survey ¼ GEO region of the sky multiple times in a single night

• Large 3.5m aperture for high sensitivity

• Optically fast (f/1) telescope for wide FOV and high search rate

• Advanced curved focal surface array for high sensitivity, accuracy, and rapid readout

• The United States and Australia plan to jointly operate the telescope beginning in 2016 to track space assets and debris, contribute to the safety and security of space-based systems, and increase the coverage of space objects from the Southern Hemisphere

SST offers ground-based capability for rapid uncued search, detection, and tracking of small objects in deep space

Location of Naval Communication Station

Harold E. Holt, Northwest Cape, Western Australia

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Sep 2003

Jan 2010

Feb 2010

Jan 2011

Feb 2011

Oct 2011

Nov 2012

Feb 2013

Nov 2013

June 2016

March 2017

Aug 2017

Oct 2017

Dec 2017

Telescope Design Complete

Telescope Mount

Assembled

First Light

Camera Complete

Letter of Intent signed with Australia MOU signed with

Australia

Enclosure Construction

Complete First Light Australia

Telescope Assembled

DARPA System

Demonstration

Australia Site Visits

Enclosure Construction Commences

Telescope Assembled in

Australia

Demonstration Begins in Australia

SST Technical Achievements

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• First large curved charge-coupled device (CCD) focal plane array

• First large three-mirror Mersenne-Schmidt telescope • Steepest primary mirror ever polished • One of the largest secondary mirrors • Fast, agile telescope mount enables rapid sky

survey—10 times faster

SST Stats Weight 180,000 lbs Height 16.4 m

Rotation Rate 17 deg/s Aperture 3.5 m

Focal Length 3.49 m FOV 2 x 3 deg/s

CCD Array 8192 x 12228 pixels

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*Planned schedule

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SST - Ibex

• Demonstrated dynamic sensor tasking – tip and cue between sensors

• Using light curves, rapidly determine type of object (debris, active satellite, etc.)

• Update Joint Space Operations Center mission displays to incorporate those tools

Demonstration of tools to provide rapid identification and characterization of objects

Artist’s Concept

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OrbitOutlook

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• Space Situational Awareness (SSA) currently uses sophisticated and exquisite certified government sensors

• With this model, greater coverage can only come at a significant cost

Artist Concept

Government ground based sensors

Joint Space Operations Center

Government space based sensors

Space object

Goal: Leverage hundreds of available, low-cost assets to increase coverage and persistence of tracking space objects

Artist’s Concept

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OrbitOutlook

Government ground based sensors

Commercial RF tracking

University optical tracking

Joint Space Operations Center

Data gathering and analysis

International partner data

Space object

Commercial optical tracking

Artist’s Concept

Government space based sensors

OrbitOutlook aims to:

• Integrate space surveillance data from non-traditional DoD sources

• Commercial • Academia • International partners

• Establish processes to

verify information assurance and data quality

• Develop characterization and Indications and Warning (I&W) techniques

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Goal: Leverage hundreds of available, low-cost assets to increase coverage and persistence of tracking space objects

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OrbitOutlook Architecture

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What data can be gleaned from site/ sensor observations?

Raw images are processed/reduced to obtain metrics (position and brightness); initial data association (group observations into tracks)

What is the quality of the data?

Metrics are assembled for quality: data integrity monitoring, bias estimation, and ID verification; sensor-site combo graded

What can we learn from the data?

Information is deduced/inferred from quality-weighted data-orbit determination, conjunction analysis, catalog correlation, UCT

resolution, object characterization, and change detection

DARPA OrbitOutlook

Program

Data Sources

Database

Algorithms

Visualizations

Approved for Public Release, Distribution Unlimited. All images Artist’s Concepts

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• Global observation • Global SSA • Global collaboration

• Study physics of shallow re-entry flight path

• Entry Phase - DARPA • Ballistic Phase - NASA

• Maximize observers around the world

• Demonstrate international data sharing capability

ATV-5 Re-entry International Observing Collaboration

World Wide Web

© Astroblogs

© Seti

© Jerry Lodriguss

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Proposed Program for Real-time Space Domain Awareness

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• Perform real-time information fusion,

including course of action (COA) generation and execution support

• Ingest source-agnostic information

• Use automation algorithms as decision aids to meet specific timelines

• Develop 3D visualization containing intuitive commander operating picture

Provide U.S. senior leadership the tools needed for real-time understanding and evaluation of the space environment

Artist’s Concept

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Creating the Future

Routine access to space GEO robotic servicing

Tactical space traffic control DARPA space programs could help enable breakthrough future technologies in many areas, including:

• Tactical space traffic control • GEO robotic servicing • Routine access to space

DARPA seeks to fuel and leverage commercial capabilities, and partner with other agencies to augment national and economic security

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Artist’s concept

Artist’s concept

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Artist’s concept

www.darpa.mil

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