Low Earth Orbit Space Domain Awareness Optical Fence

OUSD (R&E) CRITICAL TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Microelectronics; Space Technology The technology within this topic is restricted under the International Traffic in Arms Regulation (ITAR), 22 CFR Parts 120-130, which controls the export and import of defense-related material and services, including export of sensitive technical data, or the Export Administration Regulation (EAR), 15 CFR Parts 730-774, which controls dual use items. Offerors must disclose any proposed use of foreign nationals (FNs), their country(ies) of origin, the type of visa or work permit possessed, and the statement of work (SOW) tasks intended for accomplishment by the FN(s) in accordance with the Announcement. Offerors are advised foreign nationals proposed to perform on this topic may be restricted due to the technical data under US Export Control Laws. OBJECTIVE: Low earth orbit spacecraft are typically tracked by radar sites, and infrequently by optical telescopes. However, radar sites are expensive to build, operate, and sustain. Likewise, telescopes cannot track the volume of objects overhead. This topic seeks to explore the development of a low cost optical space domain awareness sensor for the tracking of low earth orbit objects that can be proliferated worldwide. These sensors will have high sensitivity and be capable of detecting low earth orbit objects within its field of regard. Due to the amount of data collected, these sensors will have the capability to process data at the edge and send observations to end users directly via a networking solution to the unified data library. These sensors will require little to no maintenance and will be affordable so that they can be easily replaced after a nominal lifespan of several years. DESCRIPTION: This topic seeks to develop a low cost optical space domain awareness sensor (SDA) to track low earth orbit (LEO) objects as they pass overhead. To accomplish this, a survey of existing optical collection and processing methods will be conducted to determine the best technical approach to develop the sensor. A system will be developed that passively detects LEO objects, computes necessary information at the edge, and sends relevant observations to end users autonomously. Considerations for this sensor should include optical performance, limiting visual magnitude, field of regard, as well as overall cost and complexity. The sensor should be designed with minimal maintenance in mind and be easily replaceable. The end result will be a SDA sensor that can be used as an optical fence for LEO objects. PHASE I: In Phase I a design will be created for the sensor An appropriate camera will be selected, and a design up to PDR will be produced that includes estimated performance information. This include a comparison to other available systems including those U.S. and foreign produced. PHASE II: In Phase II a prototype will be created based off the design produced in Phase I. The prototype should be deliverable to the government for bench-top testing and evaluation. Post-delivery the sensor will be characterized by the government and compared to other similar cameras produced by foreign companies. PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: In Phase III the Department of the Air Force will consider ordering several of the produced prototypes, with or without modification, for research and operational space domain awareness sensors. The results of the prototype evaluation will be shared with the customer base and the decision to purchase additional units will be left to the various customer program managers. REFERENCES: 8. "Space Doctrine Publication 3-100 Space Domain Awareness." November 2023.; 9. Zimmer, P. McGraw, J.T., and Ackerman, M. R., "Overcoming the Challenges of Daylight Optical Tracking of LEOs." Proceedings of the AMOS Technical Conference, Wailea, HI 2021.; KEYWORDS: Space Domain Awareness; SDA; LEO; Sensing; Autonomous Systems