Ground-based Cislunar Space Surveillance Demonstrations at Los Alamos National Laboratory

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates ground-based cislunar space surveillance using advanced telescopes during lunar eclipse and Artemis Orion observations, showcasing detection capabilities and modeling of space vehicle signatures.

Contribution

It introduces successful ground-based cislunar surveillance demonstrations with high-performance telescopes and compares observed data with reflectance models, advancing space situational awareness.

Findings

Detected Artemis Orion at 4.4e5 km with magnitude 19.57

Observed CAPSTONE at 3.2e5 km with magnitude 15.53

Validated reflectance models against observed magnitudes

Abstract

Surveillance of objects in the cislunar domain is challenging due primarily to the large distances (10x the Geosynchronous orbit radius) and total volume of space to be covered. Ground-based electro-optical observations are further hindered by high background levels due to scattered moonlight. In this paper, we report on ground-based demonstrations of space surveillance for targets in the cislunar domain exploiting the remarkable performance of 36cm, F2.2 class telescopes equipped with current generation, back-side illuminated, full-frame CMOS imager. The demonstrations leverage advantageous viewing conditions for the Artemis Orion vehicle during its return to earth, and the total lunar eclipse of November 8th 2022 for viewing the CAPSTONE vehicle. Estimated g-band magnitudes for vehicles were 19.57 at a range of 4.4e5 km and 15.53 at a range of 3.2e5 km for CAPSTONE and Artemis Orion, respectively. In addition to observations, we present reflectance signature modeling implemented in the LunaTK space-sensing simulation framework and compare calculated apparent magnitudes to observed. Design of RApid Telescopes for Optical Response (RAPTOR) instruments, observing campaigns of Artemis Orion and CAPSTONE missions, and initial comparisons to electro-optical modeling are reviewed.