Current status of the ISON optical network

Igor Molotov, Vladimir Agapov, Viktor Voropaev, Vladimir Zolotov, Tungalag

Namkhai, Tatiana Kokina, Javier Montojo, Rodolfo Zalles

Russian Academy of SciencesKeldysh Institute of Applied Mathematics

40th COSPAR Scientific Assembly2 - 10 August 2014, Moscow, Russia

International Scientific Optical Network (ISON)• ISON is an open international project developed to be an

independent source of data about space objects for scientific analysis and SSA

• Additional scientific goals – asteroids and GRB afterglows• ISON joins 35 observation facilities of various affiliation

with 80 telescopes in 15 countries that produced already about 20 millions measurements on 4000 objects

• Main area of monitoring is GEO, regular surveys of HEO objects are carried out, observations of LEO objects are started

• Keldysh Institute of Applied Mathematics of the Russian Academy of Sciences (KIAM) maintains 35% more complete GEO-object database than public TLE data and provides conjunction analysis for Roscosmos GEO satellites

ISON Research Goals in Space Debris Area• Estimation of real population of space debris at high

geocentric orbits• Determination of physical properties of discovered space

debris objects• Determination of probable sources of newly discovering

space debris fragments• Verification of existing evolution models of space debris

distribution• High orbit space debris risk assessment• Improvement of technologies of studying of space debris

population using optical instruments• Improvement of motion models for space debris objects

with complex physical properties

Map of ISON observatories

• 5 telescope subsets- global GEO survey (down to 15.5m) - tracking the the faint (fainter than 15.5m) space debris

at GEO and GTO- tracking the bright GEO and HEO objects- HEO survey and extended GEO survey (down to 14.5m

- tracking the bright LEO objects- 3 types of telescope properties:- Academies of Sciences (including KIAM) and Universities- Roscosmos space debris dedicated mini-observatories- Commercial companies and private

ISON structure

First two Roscosmos mini-observatories in Kislovodsk and Byurakan with 3 telescopes

in each (2x19.2 cm, 25 cm and 40 cm)

Global GEO survey subsystem: 8 of 22 cm, 4 of 25 cm with FOV of 3.5- 5.5 degree

Planning of GEO survey observations: a few strips covering selected declination range

Distribution of the catalogued GEO objects in right ascension – declination plane

Global GEO survey subsystem:• 12 small survey automated telescopes across the

globe + one 50-cm telescope near Barcelona• centralized scheduling at KIAM • each telescope is surveying visible part of GEO and

provides a few thousands measurements for a few hundreds objects per night

• duration of tracks is varying between 15 and 40 minutes

• these surveys produce measurements for all bright GEO-objects supporting the maintenance of KIAM database

• many uncatalogued fragments and objects of new GEO launches are detecting

• many HEO objects are detecting as background ones

Subsystem for faint debris tracking:AT-64 Nauchny-1, RC-800 Mayaki, S-600 Andrushivka, CANTEL-650 in Ussuriysk, CHV-400 in Kosala, AZT-14 Mondy, Zeiss-600 in Arkhyz, ORI-40 in Kitab, CHV-400 in Uzhgorod, CHV-500 in

Blagoveschensk

Subsystem for tracking of bright GEO and HEO objects: GAS-250 in Ussuriysk, BNC-250 in Uzhgorod,

ORI-25 in Blagoveschensk, ORI-25 in Tiraspol, TAL-250 in Chuguev, ORI-25 in Kislovodsk, PH-1 n Nauchniy-1, ORI-25 in Byurakan, TAL-250 in Barnaul, TAL-250 in Mayaki

One18-cm telescope for HEO survey (Nauchniy-1) and six 19.2 cm telescopes for extended GEO

survey (Khuraltogot, Sanglokh, Kislovodsk, Byurakan, Nauchniy-1, Tiraspol) with FOV of 7 degree and more

Planning of extended GEO survey observations: many strips selects providing more frequent passes of

GEO during night

Distribution of the catalogued GEO objects in right ascension – declination plane

Extended GEO surveys• four 18-19.2 cm automated survey telescopes with

FOV of 7x7 degree• centralized scheduling at KIAM • each telescope is surveying visible part of GEO and

provides up to 15 thousands measurements for 500 - 700 objects per night

• duration of object tracks is up to a few hours• these surveys allows to KIAM to determine more

precise GEO orbits for conjunction analysis, to detect maneuvers of active satellites and to help maintain the orbits of GEO objects in clusters

• many HEO objects are detecting as background ones

Extended GEO surveys. Measurement arc length.Sanglok VT-78e.

Starting of new subsystem for tracking of LEO objects

• 5 telescopes (25 cm and 12.5 cm in Kislovodsk, 22 cm and 12.5 cm in Tiraspol, 12.5 cm in Moscow)

• 5 more telescopes in plans

Growing amount of measurementscollected by ISON for objects in GEO and

HEO, 2003 – 2013

GEO coverage by ISON in January-May of 2014

KIAM/ISON Database Current Status

• 4031 tracking high orbit objects with orbit epoch age not older than 1 year as of May 13, 2014:3059 (75.9%) observing by ISON and having

orbital data published at SpaceTrack972 (24.1%) observing by ISON and partner

teams only (no other public sources of orbital data)

• Total number of high orbit objects with A/m > 0.1 sq.m/kg:704 (225 with orbital data available from both sources/479 with orbital data producing by ISON and partner teams only):

21

HEO, MEO and GEO Objects in ISON Database

Objects associated with GTO launches

Objects associated with Molniya-type orbit launches

Objects originated in GEO

Distribution of observing GEO objects by period and inclination

Distribution of observing GEO objects by eccentricity and area to mass ratio

Forms of collaboration with ISON

• Joint observation campaigns to exchange the obtained results

• Installation of ISON telescopes to share the data

• Modernization of non-operational obsolete telescopes

• Production of telescope under scientific grants for future joint observations

• Service on provision of orbital data• Service on conjunction analysis• Participation at ISON workshops

Part of ISON orbital data is available: http://spacedata.vimpel.ru/

Information about ISON project: www.astronomer.ru

Conclusion• ISON project is good example of fruitful international

scientific collaboration in field of near-Earth orbits monitoring

• Unique observatory network provides global coverage and release updated orbital data for about 1400 objects without TLE

• Unique KIAM database (about 20 millions of measurements for 4000 objects ) is using for scientific analysis and applied tasks, including spaceflight safety support

• Development of ISON continues and everyone is welcome to participate

• During next year next generation of ISON telescopes will appear – 20-cm aperture with and 40-cm aperture with FOV of 7x10 degree to form barrier optical multi-channel system