J. V. Lambert

Air Force Maui Optical Station (AMOS) sensitivity enhancements for optical debris detection

To better characterize the orbital debris environment, improvements must be made to the overall sensitivity of the orbital debris surveillance system. There are many ways to improve the sensitivity of the optical system: through hardware and software improvements, and through observing techniques. AMOS has been investigating algorithms for processing video data as a technique for improving the sensitivity of the optical sensors. This paper discusses preliminary results for two different approaches to the sensitivity issue, and the potential for implementing them in real time.

Orbital debris detection program highlights from the Air Force Maui Optical Station

The Air Force Maui Optical Station (AMOS) conducted searches, measurements, and analyses of the orbital debris environment for the Air Force Space Command and the Phillips Laboratory since May 1991 in support of the Air Force Orbital Debris Measurements Program. The objective of this program was to detect orbiting low earth objects not currently in the United States Space Command Space Surveillance Center catalog. Once objects were detected, further objectives were to track, catalog, and maintain those objects locally, to determine statistics on detected objects, and perform relevant analyses. AMOS has developed a prototype surveillance system for the detection and tracking of orbital debris. In addition to this surveillance activity, AMOS has also automated the post-processing videotape streak detection process and is automating the analysis process. Both the optical tracking of orbital debris and the automatic streak detection process were thought to be virtually impossible only a few years ago. The AMOS program employed wide field of view optical telescopes using the Maui Groundbased Electro-Optical Deep Space Surveillance site and AMOS narrow field of view tracking telescopes, both located at the Maui Space Surveillance Site.