First Optical Satellite Tracking Station (OSTS) at NRIAG-Egypt

Abstract

In March 2019 the first dedicated of optical observation of space debris and artificial satellites (Optical Satellites Tracking Station (OSTS)) in Egypt has been performed by National Research Institute of Astronomy and Geophysics (NRIAG) at Kottamia Observatory. The 0.28 m Telescope is used for tracking and surveying debris and operational satellites at Low Earth Orbit (LEO), High ellipse orbit (HEO) and the Geosynchronous Earth Orbit (GEO). OSTS has also collaborated with International Scientific Optical Network (ISON) for optical observation. The necessary programs to control the telescope, camera and monitoring process are configured. Coordinate corrected metric data is provided with the time information. The system has validated and calibrated processing. The first results of the observations with image processing using Apex-2 software are presented. The optical observations using OSTS are being used to help characterize the debris environment in LEO, HEO and GEO to assist in the modeling projections for space debris database, real population and distribution, detection and orbital determination, and conjunction analysis between operational satellites and/or dangers debris.