Characteristics of space debris objects using searching observations at the Terskol peak observatory

Abstract

The population of the geostationary region with space debris less than 20 cm in size has been very poorly studied in contrast to low Earth orbits. Low orbits (up to 1000 km) were studied by radar (up to 1 cm in size), optical and space instruments, there are models of the distribution of objects (up to 1 mm in size) at these heights based on experimental data [1]. The Zeiss-2000 telescope of the Terskol peak observatory is the largest telescope regularly used for space debris research, and the fragments of space debris smaller than 10 cm in size at a distance of 40 thousand km or more from the Earth are detected and studied using this instrument [2]. For example, for only 9 nights in October 2018, more than 15 previously unobserved small fragments were discovered. The data on some small-sized fragments of space debris discovered in 2018 are presented in this paper.