Space Surveillance with High-Frequency Radar

Area of Science:

• Space Surveillance
• Radar Technology
• Orbital Mechanics

Background:

• High-Frequency (HF) radar presents a compact solution for space surveillance, comparable to larger, higher-frequency systems.
• Challenges in HF radar for space include range-Doppler coupling, limited localization, and signal interference.

Purpose of the Study:

• To detail the application of HF radar for space surveillance.
• To demonstrate accurate orbit determination through multi-pass data fusion.
• To present results from recent HF space surveillance radar trials.

Main Methods:

• Signal processing and radar product formation for HF space surveillance.
• Implementing tracking algorithms for space objects.
• Applying ionospheric correction techniques.
• Utilizing multi-pass measurement fusion for orbit determination.

Main Results:

• HF radar achieves comparable detection performance to larger systems for space surveillance.
• Accurate orbital estimates are obtainable by fusing measurements from multiple radar passes.
• Real-time wide-area surveillance, tracking, and orbit determination were achieved during SpaceFest trials.

Conclusions:

• HF radar is a viable and effective technology for space surveillance.
• Multi-pass data fusion is crucial for achieving high-accuracy orbit determination with HF radar.
• The demonstrated capabilities support enhanced space situational awareness and sensor cueing.