Rotating Telescope Array for Small Object Trajectory Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for detecting and tracking space debris and other celestial objects are expensive, require extensive infrastructure, and struggle with detecting small, fast-moving objects due to limited field of view and interference from light sources, making comprehensive monitoring of space debris and low-altitude objects challenging.
Innovation Solution
A system using a rotating platform with multiple telescopes, each with a limited field of view, rotates to capture objects as they traverse a defined annular corona, allowing detection of small objects by tracing their movement across multiple images, reducing the number of telescopes needed and enhancing detection sensitivity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a large number of telescopes are deployed to cover the entire celestial vault, then detection coverage and completeness improve, but system cost and complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the celestial vault coverage task into multiple observation passes by a single telescope rather than requiring simultaneous coverage by multiple telescopes. The telescope observes different portions of the sky at different times, with each pass capturing a specific field of view. This temporal segmentation replaces spatial segmentation, reducing the number of physical telescopes needed while maintaining comprehensive coverage capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs dynamic repositioning of the telescope between observation passes to adapt to changing sky conditions and target positions. The telescope can rotate and reorient itself to capture objects at different altitudes and azimuths, allowing a single static telescope to perform the function that would otherwise require multiple fixed telescopes distributed across different locations.
2Area of stationary object
If the field of view of each telescope is increased to detect more objects, then detection coverage improves, but image resolution and detection precision deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system captures images with a limited field of view during each observation pass, focusing on specific portions of the sky at a time. Rather than attempting to capture the entire sky in a single wide-field image, the telescope makes multiple partial observations that collectively cover the celestial vault. This approach maintains high resolution in each individual image while achieving comprehensive coverage through repeated passes.
Solution Approach 2:
The system compensates for the limited field of view by adding the time dimension to the observation process. Instead of expanding the spatial field of view, the system extends the observation duration with multiple passes, allowing a single telescope to cover the entire celestial vault over time. The combination of spatial resolution in each image with temporal coverage across multiple passes resolves the contradiction between field of view and precision.
3Measurement precision
If integration time is increased to detect fainter objects, then detection sensitivity improves, but tracking accuracy of fast-moving objects deteriorates due to motion blur
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses short, periodic exposure intervals rather than continuous long exposures. Each exposure captures a snapshot of the sky with minimal motion blur, and multiple such snapshots are combined across different observation passes. This periodic sampling approach allows the system to detect faint objects through image stacking while maintaining accurate position information from individual short-exposure frames.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary tracking and position estimation using short-exposure images before combining them to enhance sensitivity. By first identifying object positions in individual frames with minimal blur, then using these positions to guide further observation and image combination, the system achieves both tracking accuracy and detection sensitivity without requiring long integration times that would cause motion blur.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system provides comprehensive detection and tracking of small space debris and low-altitude objects with high accuracy and reduced costs by optimizing telescope usage and leveraging multiple observations to determine trajectories.
Implementation Method 1
Each telescope (Tx) having a field of view (FOV) between 2 and 6 square degrees and comprising a sensor of N x M pixels
Implementation Method 2
a rotating platform in an azimuthal plane supporting a plurality of telescopes... The system comprises a computer for recording the timestamped images provided by the sensor of each telescope and for calculating the trajectory
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~5
Figure 6~7
AI summary
The present invention relates to a system for detecting the path of moving objects, characterized in that it comprises telescopes (1-4) rotating in an azimuthal plane and each oriented with a height comprised between 30° and 85°, each of said telescopes (1-4) having a field of view comprised between 2 and 6 degrees square and comprising a sensor of NxM pixels each of a width L. This system comprises a computer for storing time-stamped images delivered by the sensor of each of said telescopes and for computing the path of a celestial object depending on luminous traces of said celestial object in a first image 30 (figure 3) and in a second image 40 (figure 3).