Laser measurements to space debris from Graz SLR station

• Published in: Advances in space research Vol. 51; no. 1; pp. 21 - 24
• Main Authors: Kirchner, Georg, Koidl, Franz, Friederich, Fabian, Buske, Ivo, Völker, Uwe, Riede, Wolfgang
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.01.2013; Elsevier
• Subjects: Astronomy; Earth, ocean, space; Exact sciences and technology; External geophysics; Laser ranging; Space debris; Germany; Laser ranging; Space debris; Energy pulse; Pulse width; Radar cross-sections; Laser pulse; Photon noise; Space remote sensing; Satellite observation; Orbits; Trajectories; Space research
• DOI: 10.1016/j.asr.2012.08.009
• ISSN: 0273-1177

► Using laser ranging, we measured distances to space debris objects. ► We used a 1kHz/25mJ/10ns/532nm laser, and we built. ► New single-photon detector units, with 500μm diodes, and low dark noise. ► More than 85 passes of 43 different debris targets were measured. ► Distances to targets were between 600km and more than 2500km. In order to test laser ranging possibilities to space debris objects, the Satellite Laser Ranging (SLR) Station Graz installed a frequency doubled Nd:YAG pulse laser with a 1kHz repetition rate, a pulse width of 10ns, and a pulse energy of 25mJ at 532nm (on loan from German Aerospace Center Stuttgart – DLR). We developed and built low-noise single-photon detection units to enable laser ranging to targets with inaccurate orbit predictions, and adapted our standard SLR software to include a few hundred space debris targets. With this configuration, we successfully tracked – within 13 early-evening sessions of each about 1.5h – 85 passes of 43 different space debris targets, in distances between 600km and up to more than 2500km, with radar cross sections from >15m2 down to <0.3m2, and measured their distances with an average precision of about 0.7m RMS.