ELROI: A License Plate For Your Satellite
David M. Palmer, Rebecca M. Holmes

TL;DR
ELROI is a compact, low-power optical beacon that provides a persistent, autonomous identification signal for space objects, simplifying tracking and identification without interfering with operations.
Contribution
The paper introduces ELROI, a novel milliwatt-scale optical license plate for satellites that requires no power or control from the host and is suitable for small space objects.
Findings
Validated with ground tests
Designed for small satellites like CubeSats
First flight test scheduled for 2018
Abstract
Space object identification is vital for operating spacecraft, space traffic control, and space situational awareness, but initial determination, maintenance, and recovery of identity are all difficult, expensive, and error-prone, especially for small objects like CubeSats. Attaching a beacon or license plate with a unique identification number to a space object before launch would greatly simplify the task, but radio beacons are power-hungry and can cause interference. This paper describes a new concept for a satellite license plate, the Extremely Low Resource Optical Identifier or ELROI. ELROI is a milliwatt-scale self-powered autonomous optical beacon that can be attached to any space object to transmit a persistent identification signal to ground stations. A system appropriate for a LEO CubeSat or other small space object can fit in a package with the area of a postage stamp and a…
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Taxonomy
TopicsGNSS positioning and interference · Space Satellite Systems and Control · Ionosphere and magnetosphere dynamics
