ISON dedicated survey instruments development

Igor Molotov, Vladimir Agapov

Russian Academy of SciencesKeldysh Institute of Applied Mathematics

64th International Astronautical CongressBeijing, China, 23 – 27 September 2013

International Scientific Optical Network (ISON)• ISON is an open international non-government project

developed to be an independent source of data about space objects for scientific analysis and SSA

• Additional scientific goals – asteroids and GRB afterglows• ISON joins 33 observation facilities of various affiliation

with 70 telescopes in 14 countries that produced already about 18 millions measurements on 3500 space objects

• Keldysh Institute of Applied Mathematics of the Russian Academy of Sciences (KIAM) maintains 35% more complete GEO-object database than public TLE data and provides conjunction analysis for Roscosmos GEO satellites

• ISON uses own standard software for telescope control and CCD image processing

• Mainstream of ISON is using of survey telescopes

Types of ISON survey telescopes:18/19.2 cm, 22 cm, 25 cm, 50 cm, 65 cm

Map of ISON observatories

Types of ISON survey telescopes

Type Quant Aperture FOV,deg Goal

RST-220/

ORI-22

9

+1

22 cm

50 cm

4 (5.5-2)

4.4-1

Full GEO survey

ORI-25 4 25 cm 3.4 GEO survey

VT-52c/

VT-78a

4 18/19.2 cm

2x19.2

7

7x9

extended

GEO survey

VT-52c 1 18 cm 7 HEO survey

SNTL650 1 (+2) 65 cm 2.2 Local GEO fragm. survey

ORI-50M 1 50 cm 4 Full GEO fragm. survey

Global GEO survey subsystem: 9 of 22 cm, 4 of 25 cm and 1 of 50 cm telescopes with FOV

of 3.5- 5.5 degree

Planning of GEO survey observations: a few strips covering selected declination range

Distribution of the catalogued GEO objects in right ascension – declination plane

Global GEO survey subsystem:• 12 small survey automated telescopes across the

globe + one 50-cm telescope near Barcelona• centralized scheduling at KIAM • each telescope is surveying visible part of GEO and

provides a few thousands measurements for a few hundreds objects per night

• duration of tracks is varying between 15 and 40 minutes

• these surveys produce measurements for all bright GEO-objects supporting the maintenance of KIAM database

• many uncatalogued fragments and objects of new GEO launches are detecting

• many HEO objects are detecting as background ones

Extended GEO survey (Khuraltogot, Sanglokh, Kislovodsk and Nauchniy-1) consist of telescopes with FOV of 7 degree

HEO survey (Nauchniy-1) targeted surveys of apogee area of Molniya-type HEO objects that already resulted in discovery of about 40 previously unknown objects

Planning of extended GEO survey observations: many strips selects providing more frequent passes of

GEO during night

Distribution of the catalogued GEO objects in right ascension – declination plane

Extended GEO surveys• four 18-19.2 cm automated survey telescopes with

FOV of 7x7 degree• centralized scheduling at KIAM • each telescope is surveying visible part of GEO and

provides up to 15 thousands measurements for 500 - 700 objects per night

• duration of object tracks is up to a few hours• these surveys allows to KIAM to determine more

precise GEO orbits for conjunction analysis, to detect maneuvers of active satellites and to help maintain the orbits of GEO objects in clusters

• many HEO objects are detecting as background ones

Surveys of GEO fragments

Planning of fragments survey observations: many strips selects providing passes of fields with the

highest density of known fragment trajectories

Distribution of the catalogued GEO fragments in right ascension – declination plane

Surveys of GEO fragments

• It was started with 50-cm telescope with FOV of 2.5 degrees (50-mm size CCD-chip). ORI-50 in Ussuriysk participated in discovering of about 200 non-catalogued objects since 2011

• It is continued with 65-cm telescope SANTEL-650 in Ussuriysk with FOV 0f 2.2 degree (50-mm size CCD-chip). Non-catalogued fragments are discovered down to 17.5 magnitude with automatic processing. Two more 65-cm telescopes are waiting of installation.

• It will be developed with 50-cm telescope with FOV of 4 degree that will be installed in Kislovodsk in beginning of 2014

Extended GEO surveys. Measurement arc length.Sanglok VT-78e.

Growing amount of measurementscollected by ISON, 2003 – 2012

ISON Database of HEO, MEO and GEO objects

As of Feb 1, 2013 the ISON database contains information for more than 3200 HEO, MEO and GEO objects with orbits updating using ISON optical measurements

897 of these objects are newly discovered during 10 years of ISON work

270 HEO and GEO space debris objects are discovered in 2012 (compare to 168 ones discovered in 2011 and 61 – in 2010).

HEO, MEO and GEO Objects in ISON Database

Objects associated with GTO launches

Objects associated with Molniya-type orbit launches

Objects originated in GEO

Distribution of observing GEO objects by period and inclination

Discovered fragments

Conclusion• Survey instruments allow to maintain catalogue of

bright GEO objects and to discover many fragments and HEO objects

• Number of discoveries of relatively bright GEO debris objects (brighter 16-17 magnitude) continues to grow (270 new objects in 2012), but now ISON lost the same quantity of objects as discovered. It is necessary to develop subsystems of tracking telescopes for faint fragments and HEO objects

• New 19.2 cm and 65 cm survey telescopes displayed good performances. ISON will continue its production and installation. New 50 cm survey telescope is on the way.

• Development of ISON continues and everyone is welcome to participate

Forms of collaboration with ISON• Joint observation campaigns to exchange the

obtained results• Installation of ISON telescopes to share the

data• Modernization of non-operational obsolete

telescopes• Production of telescope under scientific grants

for future joint observations • Service on provision of orbital data• Service on conjunction analysis• Participation at UN supported ISON

conferences

ISON web site: www.astronomer.ru