Increasing the accuracy of real time wide field of view space surveillance by grid-based combination of multiple calibration results

Abstract

The Low Earth Orbit (LEO) region is populated by tens of thousands of objects, which include not only active satellites, but also space debris which can pose a real danger to space operations, and therefore have to be monitored closely. The work presented in this paper addresses the problem of wide field LEO detection and astrometric reduction using a portable, low cost wide field system. The work will address the challenges of astrometric reduction errors for wide FOV images, which lead to the need for multiple calibrations, which pose a challenge for real time operation. We propose a mechanism for aggregating calibration data as the system runs in real time, which does not slow down the real time operation but continuously increases the accuracy of the results. The proposed mechanism can be adapted for both staring and sidereal tracking observation modes, and to all types of astrometry software or streak detection algorithms.