Space Surveillance and Tracking (SST)
Mission
Detection and localisation of resident spatial objects (RSO) present in TAROT images
Instruments
TAROT
Skills
Remote sensing, astrometric calibration, sensor geometry
Date
From 2015 to today
Space Surveillance and Tracking (SST)
CNES has access to the TAROT observatories (Telescope Rapid Action for Transient Objects). Therefore, it uses them for space surveillance. The SST includes observation and monitoring of active satellites or passive debris. Thus, the activities are concentrated on several points:
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- detection and cataloguing of newly detected objects
- determination of the initial orbit and update of the orbit parameters of a satellite
- collision avoidance
- determination of the launch platform orbit after launch and passivation
- detection of unwanted operations, whether due to operator error or malicious intent
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The TAROT observatories, fully robotized, can acquire several hundred images per night of observation.
Passivation
Image processed by Earth Observation Unit Magellium
The EO unit is responsible for the detection and localisation of RSO (Resident Space Object) present in TAROT images.
Find more details about the SST here.
The objectives SST
Successive studies have led to the Triton software which has been used for several years in operational mode.
This software offers the following capabilities:
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- operational for terrestrial, sidereal or satellite tracking
- detection
- astrometric reduction for celestial location of objects
- photometric calibration for object magnitude
- modeling of atmospheric refraction and optical distortion.
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TAROT telescope. Credits : INSU, CNRS
Key partners
CNES, Thalès Alenia Space, Paris Astrophysics Institute
Key words
observation, satellite, studies, space, SST, surveillance, monitoring, tracking, TAROT, debris, space object, software, detection, CNES
SCIENCE FOR EARTH CARE
The Earth Observation Unit of Magellium is an expert in optical space missions and geophysical and biophysical applications. The EO unit provides high level of expertise and full capacity on the whole processing chain, enabling it to respond to all projects from the greatest space orders such as ESA and CNES.