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Satellites Collide in First-Ever Mid-Space Crash



 
 
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Old February 14th 09, 07:25 PM posted to sci.space.policy,sci.astro.amateur
Dr J R Stockton[_16_]
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Default Satellites Collide in First-Ever Mid-Space Crash

In sci.space.policy message
, Fri, 13 Feb 2009 11:46:23, John Schilling
posted:

Assuming the input data, i.e. the SpaceTrack elsets, is good enough
for the job.



I guess that published data is given to a predefined number of
significant figures and the individual uncertainties of each number are
not given. The raw material should be more useful than the published
material.

If better tracking data would help, ISTM that it could be done using
measurements from simple satellite-borne radars. Satellites fitted with
GPS or similar should know the time and their position rather
accurately, by fitting a track constrained by the laws of motion to
individual GPS readings.

Give them an omni/multi- directional radar (by that, I mean one without
a scanning "dish"; it just shouts and listens) with a range if possible
of maybe tens of kilometres or more; fairly frequently, returns will
"appear" on its "screen", come closer, and move away. It should report
the time and distance of each closest approach. That will usually be
identifiable as matching, to within the accuracy expected, a known
object tracked from the ground; the data will be able to refine the
current knowledge of the course of the object. Reporting other times
and distances would indicate the relative speed.

For unknown objects, the data means that it was at a certain distance
from a known point at a known time, and had a particular approximate
radar size. It might be possible to discern that a set of the "unknown"
readings refer to one object, which then becomes a known object.

XP SAA,SSP

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