Method and system for detecting the tumbling characteristics of space objects
AssigneeLeoLabs, Inc.
InventorsMatthew Stevenson, Michael James Nicolls
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of determining tumbling characteristics of resident space objects includes acquiring a geometry of a target object, generating a distribution of radio scatterers within the geometry of the target, calculating multiple radar cross sections at different angles for the distribution, finding an autocorrelation for each radar cross section versus each angle, using the autocorrelations to find a decorrelation angle, extracting a decorrelation time from radar data of the object, and finding a rotation rate of the object as the tumbling characteristic.
Claims28
A method of determining at least one tumbling characteristic of an object, comprising:
- obtaining an expected radar cross section (RCS) decorrelation angle of an object;
- obtaining radar data of the object;
- determining a decorrelation time of the RCS of the object from the radar data of the object;
- and
- determining at least one tumbling characteristic of the object based on the obtained decorrelation angle and the determined decorrelation time.
A system to determine tumbling characteristic of objects, comprising:
- a radar to obtain radar data of each object;
- and
- at least one processor arranged to execute code to allow the processor to:
- obtain a decorrelation angle of a radar cross section (RCS) of each object;
- determine a decorrelation time of the RCS of each object from the radar data of that object;
- and
- determining the at least one tumbling characteristic of that object based on the obtained decorrelation angle and the determined decorrelation time for each object.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.