Identification of uncatalogued LEO space objects by a ground-based EO array

Abstract

A ground-based electro-optical (EO) array, deployed at the Jilin Space Tracking Base of Changchun Observatory, China, has been in operation since April 2017. The array has 8 small telescopes, each has an aperture of 15 cm and a field of view of 14° × 14°. On average, the array can collect angles data over 3–4 thousand Very Short Arcs (VSAs) of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) space objects each night. Correlation of the VSA angles data with the NORAD catalogue objects results in about 85% of all the VSAs being correlated to NORAD objects. The remaining 15% VSAs angles data could be supposed from uncatalogued objects. The Initial Orbit Determination (IOD) solutions of the VSAs with the range-search method and the association results of the IODs with the geometrical method are presented. The mean IOD success rate is about 91% and the True Positive (TP) rate is more than 86%. In addition, the classical Gauss, Laplace, Gooding and Double-r angles-only IOD methods are applied to process VSA angles data and their performance is assessed. The CBTA method is used to associate the IOD tracks and compared with the geometrical method. A set of procedures for identifying the uncatalogued objects based on the VSA angles data is designed. Processing of the VSA angles data from Aug 4 to Sep 30, 2017 reveals there are possibly 415 uncatalogued LEO objects.