Optimized matched filter tracking of space objects

A method for the computational addition of recorded telescope images for detecting and characterizing faint objects which move through an image field of fixed stars, the method comprising:

• receiving a plurality of telescope images from a telescope imaging system;
• performing a plurality of computational calculations on the telescope images using a plurality of search parameters to identify one or more objects moving through the telescope images, wherein the number of the computational calculations is reduced by a priori relatively restricting a parameter space of the computational calculations, and wherein a focal plane of the telescope imaging system is provided with an array of photoelectric detecting elements;
• computationally adding electrical responses of a number of adjacent photoelectric detecting elements to generate a numerical value of a synthesized data bin of an array of bins, wherein the number of photoelectric detecting elements contributing to the bin and an exposure time for light incident on the photoelectric detecting detectors are determined a priori by analytical calculations designed to enhance the signal-to-noise-ratio for detection of a restricted class of moving objects that are expected to pass through a field of view of the telescope imaging system;
• processing one of the one or more moving objects in a subset of the telescope images via a computationally sparse sampling resulting in detecting the one or more moving objects above a background noise level of the images;
• and
• reprocessing the subset of telescope images at a higher resolution using limited portions of the subset of telescope images that are within a threshold distance of and within a threshold alignment along the directions of the processing of the one or more moving objects.

A system for reducing computational load in moving target detection analysis for faint moving objects, the system comprising:

• an optical system configured to project images onto a digital focal plane;
• a digital focal plane including an optically sensitive array configured to capture imagery data by transducing light entering through the optical system into digital data that can be stored in memory and processed digitally, the imagery data comprising multiple images in which each of the images corresponds to the imagery data from the optically sensitive array for an exposure time;
• a memory configured to store the imagery data;
• and
• an image processing system configured to analyze the imagery data to identify moving objects by:
• establishing temporal bins such that each of the temporal bins combines a stack of a plurality of the images including at least one pixel in the optically sensitive array, wherein each temporal bin includes at least a number of images configured to capture a signal in the imagery data from a moving object as the signal of the moving object traverses the optically sensitive array over the course of a combination of the exposure times for the plurality of images;
• and
• detecting the moving object based on signals generated by the temporal bins,
• wherein the image processing system is further configured to analyze the imagery data to identify moving objects by:
• establishing at least two temporal tripwires, each tripwire including at least one row or column of bins in at least one of the exposures;
• selecting a set of the images for processing;
• and
• for each bin in the stack, processing the bins in each tripwire without processing the other bins corresponding to other pixels in the image.