High accuracy ranging for space debris with spaceborne single photon Lidar

Area of Science:

• Space debris monitoring and tracking
• Optical remote sensing technologies
• Statistical inference and signal processing

Background:

• Space debris poses increasing risks to operational satellites and space missions.
• Ground-based systems for space debris localization have limitations in coverage and maneuverability.
• Spaceborne single photon Lidar (SSPL) offers a viable alternative with enhanced capabilities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a novel method for accurate space debris distance determination in LEO.
• To address the challenges posed by nonlinear and high-dynamic motion characteristics of space debris.
• To improve monostatic space debris localization using advanced data processing techniques.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing non-parametric Bayesian inference and Dirichlet Process Mixture Models (DPMM).
• Integrating Extended Kalman Filtering (EKF) for precise range gating.
• Employing Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) for iterative solutions and temporal photon distribution analysis.

Main Results:

• The proposed method demonstrates superior accuracy compared to conventional statistical techniques.
• A clear correlation between radial absolute velocity and ranging error was established.
• Significant enhancement in monostatic space debris localization was achieved.

Conclusions:

• The novel SSPL approach effectively determines space debris distances in LEO.
• The method's accuracy is validated against traditional techniques, showing improved performance.
• This research contributes to enhanced space situational awareness and debris mitigation strategies.