Abstract
The conventional detection of micrometeoroid and orbital debris (MMOD) impacts on satellites is based on in-situ sensing or direct, visual inspection of the retrieved surface elements exposed to the particle flux and thus requires active in-orbit operations. We propose Quanta Photogrammetry (QPM) as an optical method for remote detection of surface structural anomalies of passive satellites by measuring solar photon flux reflected off the satellite surface towards the ground detection system.The hypertemporal light curves of the Experimental Geodetic Satellite - Ajisai (NORAD 16908, altitude of 1490 km) are collected with the state-of-the-art photon counting system designed and operated by the Graz Satellite Laser Ranging Observatory (Austria). QPM utilizes the inertial attitude model of the satellite to project the high-rate photometric samples onto the spacecraft body-fixed frame. The single-photon light curves collected from Oct. 2015 until Jan. 2018 are used to map reflectivity of 149 mirror panels on-board Ajisai (approx. size of 20 × 20 cm each) and reveal relatively small, irregularly shaped and spot-like anomalies that can indicate surface degradation due to the long-term environmental interactions and MMOD hypervelocity impacts.
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