Systems and methods for space situational awareness and space weather

• US 8,193,968 B1
• Filed: 01/15/2010
• Issued: 06/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Harris Corporation (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Exelis Incorporated (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kia, Omid Ebrahimi, Rodgers, Christopher, Bradford, Brian
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bythrow, Peter
• Application Number:
  US12/688,299
• Time in Patent Office: 872 Days
• Field of Search: 342/25.R, 342/25.A, 342/26.R, 342/26.A, 342/59, 342 94- 97, 342/118, 342/120, 342/352
• US Class Current: 342/26.A
• CPC Class Codes: B64G 1/1078 Maintenance satellites refueling in space B64G1/4024
• CPC Class Codes: B64G 3/00 Observing or tracking cosmonautic vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/87 Combinations of radar systems, e.g. primary radar and secondary radar
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/88 Radar or analogous systems specially adapted for specific applications electromagnetic prospecting or detecting of objects, e.g. near-field detection, G01V3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/933 of aircraft or spacecraft

Abstract

Systems and methods for detecting objects and weather in space are disclosed. A system for detecting an object in space and space weather includes at least one spacecraft, at least one radiation source, at least one detector, and a controller. The at least one radiation source and the at least one detector are coupled to the at least one spacecraft. The at least one radiation source is configured to transmit a signal. The at least one detector is configured to detect the signal. The signal may be reflected from an object in space. The controller is coupled to the spacecraft and is in communication with the plurality of detectors. The controller is programmed to calculate either a relative position of the object based or a plasma parameter in a region traversed by the signal based on the detected signal.

Claims

1. A system for detecting space weather, comprising:

at least one spacecraft;

at least one radiation source coupled to the at least one spacecraft, the at least one radiation source configured to transmit a signal;

at least one detector coupled to the at least one spacecraft, the at least one detector configured to receive the signal; and

a controller in communication with the at least one detector, the controller programmed to calculate a plasma parameter in a region traversed by the signal based on the detected signal.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one spacecraft comprises a plurality of spacecrafts, each spacecraft being coupled with at least one radiation source configured to transmit the signal and at least one detector configured to receive the signal.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the controller is a master controller and is programmed to calculate the plasma parameter in the region traversed by the signal based on the signal detected by the at least one detector of each spacecraft.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one radiation source and the at least one detector comprise different antennas.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein

the at least one radiation source and the at least one detector comprise the same antenna, and

the signal is reflected from a plasma in the region traversed by the signal.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising an alert,

wherein the controller is programmed to activate the alert when the plasma parameter is above a predefined threshold.

7. A method for detecting space weather with at least one spacecraft, the at least one spacecraft including at least one radiation source and at least one detector, the method comprising the steps of:

transmitting a signal with the at least one radiation source;

detecting the signal with the at least one detector; and

calculating with a controller a plasma parameter in a region traversed by the signal based on the detected signal.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein

the at least one spacecraft comprises a plurality of spacecrafts, each spacecraft including at least one radiation source and at least one detector,

the transmitting step comprises transmitting the signal with the at least one radiation source of a first spacecraft, and

the detecting step comprises detecting the signal with the at least one detector of a second spacecraft.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the at least one radiation source and the at least one detector comprise different antennas.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the at least one radiation source and the at least one detector comprise the same antenna, and

the signal is reflected from a plasma in the region traversed by the signal.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising the step of:

activating an alert when the plasma parameter is above a predefined threshold.

12. A system for detecting an object in space, comprising:

at least one spacecraft;

at least one radiation source coupled to the at least one spacecraft, each radiation source configured to transmit a signal;

a plurality of detectors coupled to the at least one spacecraft, the plurality of detectors each configured to detect a respective signal reflected from the object; and

a controller coupled to the spacecraft and in communication with the plurality of detectors, the controller programmed to calculate a relative position of the object based on the detected signals;

wherein the plurality of detectors includes a corresponding plurality of antennas and the antennas are installed on the one spacecraft at locations forming a non-gridded pattern.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the at least one spacecraft comprises a plurality of spacecrafts, each spacecraft coupled to at least one radiation source, each configured to transmit a respective signal, and a plurality of detectors, each configured to receive the respective signal reflected from the object.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the controller is a master controller and is programmed to calculate the relative position of the object based on the respective signal detected by the plurality of detectors of each spacecraft.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the controller is programmed to calculate a relative speed of the object based on the detected signals.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein

the controller is programmed to calculate an orbital path of the object,

the controller is programmed to determine whether the object will pass within a predefined range of the spacecraft based on the orbital path of the object and an orbital path of the spacecraft.

17. The system of claim 12, further comprising an alert, wherein the controller is programmed to activate the alert when the position of the object is within a predefined range of the spacecraft.