Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 27, 2025
06:57
Continuous Noninvasive Measuring of Crayfish Cardiac and Behavioral Activities
Published on: February 6, 2019
6.0K
Stingray Sensor System for Persistent Survey of the GEO Belt
Tanner Campbell1,2, Adam Battle2, Dan Gray3
1Department of Aerospace & Mechanical Engineering, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA.
Sensors (Basel, Switzerland)
|April 27, 2024
Summary
The Stingray sensor system autonomously surveys geosynchronous Earth orbit (GEO) satellites using 15 cameras. Initial results demonstrate high photometric and astrometric accuracy for characterizing space objects.
Area of Science:
- Space Surveillance and Monitoring
- Astrophysics
- Optical Astronomy
Background:
- Geosynchronous Earth Orbit (GEO) is a critical region for satellite operations.
- Characterizing GEO satellites requires precise astrometric and photometric data.
- Existing survey methods may have limitations in coverage and automation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce the Stingray sensor system for nightly astrometric and photometric surveys of the GEO belt.
- To characterize GEO and near-GEO satellites based on observable properties.
- To demonstrate the system's autonomous data acquisition and processing capabilities.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a 15-camera optical array (Stingray system) with Sigma 135 mm f/1.8 lenses.
- Employed autonomous data acquisition and processing, calibrated using the GAIA DR2 star catalog.
- Observed a total field of regard of 114-by-5.8 degrees, targeting satellites brighter than GAIA G magnitude 15.5.
Main Results:
- Achieved an aggregate photometric uncertainty of 0.062 ± 0.008 magnitudes.
- Demonstrated astrometric accuracy consistent with theoretical sub-pixel centroid limits.
- Successfully measured approximately 200 near-GEO satellites per night within the survey area.
Conclusions:
- The Stingray sensor system is a functional and autonomous platform for GEO belt characterization.
- The system provides high-accuracy astrometric and photometric measurements of satellites.
- Initial survey results validate the system's design and performance for space object characterization.
