Integrated approach to evaluating the effectiveness and development of monitoring systems for uncatalogued space debris in near-Earth space

Аuthors

Usovik I. V.^*, Morozov A. A.^**

Moscow Aviation Institute (National Research University), 4, Volokolamskoe shosse, Moscow, А-80, GSP-3, 125993, Russia

*e-mail: usovikiv@mail.ru
**e-mail: aamorozko@mail.ru

Abstract

The intensity of global space activity is increasing. Every year, records are set for the number of launches and spacecraft deployed, and as a result, the amount of space debris inevitably rises. The greatest risks to space assets are posed by uncatalogued debris objects, whose size falls below the cataloging threshold but exceeds the size required for critical damage potential. For low Earth orbits, this size range is approximately 1 to 10 cm, while for higher orbits, the upper limit can increase to 50 cm or more. Monitoring such space debris is critical for model verification and situational awareness, which helps ensure the safety of space operations. The use of both ground-based and space-based technologies maximizes the effectiveness of monitoring small-sized debris across all regions of near-Earth space.
A review of the scientific and technical literature has revealed several techniques for evaluating the effectiveness of ground-based and space-based monitoring tools, though they require further refinement.
This article presents the results of developing methods for assessing the effectiveness of monitoring tools for uncatalogued space debris, along with proposals for the composition of a monitoring system that includes both ground-based and space-based facilities.
The evaluation of monitoring effectiveness is based on calculating the coverage area served by various tools, as well as estimating the number of potential measurements that would be lost if monitoring were not performed on a global scale.
Proposals are made for the creation of a comprehensive monitoring system for uncatalogued space debris, consisting of three radar facilities distributed by latitude within the same region, three telescopes spaced evenly by longitude and as close as possible to the equator, three remote monitoring spacecraft, and one contact monitoring device that could be installed on the Russian Space Station in low Earth orbit.

Keywords:

uncatalogued space debris, near-Earth space monitoring system, radar systems, telescopes, orbital segment

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