Space Situational Awareness
Long-range tracking radars for space surveillance.
Watch the space
Today, there is an unprecedented and increasing number of objects in space. In addition to the thousands of functional satellites circling the Earth, there are even more potentially hazardous objects. Space debris, such as derelict satellites and the remnants of old rocket launches pose an imminent threat to space assets as well as people and infrastructure on the ground.
Our long-range Doppler radars can be used for Space Situational Awareness (SSA) analysis, providing real-time data about the positions and movement of these objects.
Space surveillance and tracking
Weibel’s long-range tracking radars are well suited for space surveillance and tracking (SST) systems. We supply long-range tracking radar systems to various space agencies around the world.
These radars provide outstanding capabilities in space traffic management, including collision avoidance, fragmentation analysis and re-entry analysis services.
With both radar detection and optical surveillance techniques being a fundamental component of the SST program, Weibel’s multi-frequency, long-range tracking radars are a highly effective ally in detecting and monitoring objects in space – such as debris, threats and satellite anomalies.
Space object tracking
Weibel’s long-range tracking radar systems have been used for tracking and cataloging space objects and debris since 1996. They provide operators with a clear view of orbital space debris fields, providing essential data that allows the paths of debris and microsatellites to be predicted.
By knowing the exact position of debris and other objects in relation to the path of your satellite, it is possible to determine the risk of collision. This means you can decide whether to adjust the satellite’s trajectory or to keep its current path, minimizing fuel consumption.
The tracking systems also collects observation vectors, enabling you to compute orbital parameters and radar signature. This reveals the object’s intrinsic motion, specifically the rotation and tumbling rate.
Our radars help you to characterize small-size debris and determine the size of the object and its orbital parameters. You can also track and catalog objects down to 10 cm in diameter/width, moving in low orbit – or at a distance of between 100 and 3000 kilometers above the Earth.
Re-entry to the atmosphere
Not only is space object tracking important for analyzing the potential for collisions and developing avoidance procedures, it is also necessary when predicting the re-entry into the atmosphere of any given object.
With the long-range tracking radar system you can track the object’s re-entry into the Earth’s atmosphere, following it to the landing position and allowing you to quickly recover the object on the ground.
