System and method for space domain awareness using a sparse widely-spaced radar aperture

A radar system for detecting and characterizing at least one space object, comprising:

• first elements forming one of a first aperiodic lattice, a first unequal elements pattern, and first elements forming one of a first aperiodic lattice, a first unequal element pattern, and a combination thereof, and the first sensor array configured to perform one of a transmitting operation, a receiving operation, and a combination thereof,
• wherein the first elements are not co-linear with respect to x- and y-axes thereof;
• and
• a second sensor array having a plurality of second elements in a second widely-spaced configuration, the second elements forming one of a second aperiodic lattice, a second unequal element pattern, and a combination thereof, and wherein the second elements are not co-linear with respect to x- and y-axes thereof, and
• wherein the first aperiodic lattice is not identical to the second aperiodic lattice.

A radar system for detecting and characterizing at least one space object, comprising:

• a first sensor array having a plurality of first elements in a first widely-spaced configuration, the first elements forming one of a first aperiodic lattice, a first unequal element pattern, and a combination thereof, and the first sensor array configured to perform one of a transmitting operation, a receiving operation, and a combination thereof,
• wherein the first elements are not co-linear with respect to x- and y-axes thereof;
• and
• a second sensor array having a plurality of second elements in a second widely-spaced configuration, the second elements forming one of a second aperiodic lattice, a second unequal element pattern, and a combination thereof, and wherein the second elements are not co-linear with respect to x- and y-axes thereof,
• wherein the first sensor array is configured to perform the transmitting operation and the second sensor array is configured to perform a receiving operation, and
• wherein velocity and positional components of the space object can be measured during one pass through an array beam during the transmitting operation, thereby enabling one pass orbit determination of the at least one space object.

A radar system for detecting and characterizing at least one space object, comprising:

• a first sensor array having a plurality of first elements in a first widely-spaced configuration, and first elements forming one of a first aperiodic lattice, a first unequal element pattern, and a combination thereof, and the first sensor array configured to perform one of a transmitting operation, a receiving operation, and a combination thereof,
• wherein the first elements are not co-linear with respect to x- and y-axes thereof,
• a second sensor array having a plurality of second elements in a second widely-spaced configuration, the second elements forming one of a second aperiodic lattice, a second unequal element pattern, and a combination thereof, and wherein the second elements are not co-linear with respect to x- and y-axes thereof;
• and
• a third sensor array having a plurality of third elements in a third widely-spaced configuration, the third elements forming one of a third aperiodic lattice, a third unequal element pattern, and a combination thereof, and wherein the third elements are not co-linear with respect to x- and y-axes thereof.

A radar system for detecting and characterizing at least one space object, comprising:

• a first sensor array having a plurality of first elements in a first widely-spaced configuration, and first elements forming one of a first aperiodic lattice, a first unequal element pattern, and a combination thereof, and the first sensor array configured to perform one of a transmitting operation, a receiving operation, and a combination thereof,
• wherein the first elements are not co-linear with respect to x- and y-axes thereof;
• a second sensor array having a plurality of second elements in a second widely-spaced configuration, the second elements forming one of a second aperiodic lattice, a second unequal element pattern, and a combination thereof, and wherein the second elements are not co-linear with respect to x- and y-axes thereof;
• and
• a third sensor array having a plurality of third elements in a third widely-spaced configuration, the third elements forming one of a third aperiodic lattice, a third unequal element pattern, and a combination thereof, and wherein the third elements are not co-linear with respect to x- and y-axes thereof,
• wherein the first sensor array is configured to perform the transmitting operation, each of the second sensor array and the third sensor array is configured to perform a receiving operation, and
• wherein the system further includes a fourth sensor array configured to perform the receiving operation, and wherein velocity and positional components of the space object can be measured during one pulse while the object is crossing a beam of the element pattern, thereby enabling one pulse orbit determination of the at least one space object.

A radar system for detecting and characterizing at least one space object, comprising:

• a first sensor array having a plurality of first elements in a first widely-spaced configuration, and first elements forming one of a first aperiodic lattice, a first unequal element pattern, and a combination thereof, and the first sensor array configured to perform one of a transmitting operation, a receiving operation, and a combination thereof,
• wherein the first elements are not co-linear with respect to x- and y-axes thereof,
• wherein the first widely-spaced configuration provides a high-resolution main beam, and
• wherein the system is configured to generate an inverse synthetic-aperture radar (ISAR) image using the high-resolution main beam and an ability to differentiate grating lobes due to at least one of the first aperiodic lattice and the first unequal pattern.

A method for detecting and characterizing at least one Earth orbiting object, comprising:

• providing a radar system including:
• a first sensor array having a plurality of first elements in a
• first widely-spaced configuration, and the first elements forming one of a first aperiodic lattice, a first unequal element pattern, and a combination thereof, and the first sensor array configured to perform one of a transmitting operation, a receiving operation, and a combination thereof,
• wherein the first elements are not co-linear with respect to x- and y-axes thereof,
• wherein the first unequal pattern includes one of differently sized reflectors, differently shaped sub-reflectors, deliberately precise differentially mispointed first elements, and combinations thereof,
• staring at a predetermined position in a geostationary arc by broadcasting a first beam, the first beam including a first detection signal;
• and
• receiving at least one return signal created by the first detecting signal reflecting off the Earth orbiting object.