Laser-Guide-Star Satellite for Ground-Based Adaptive Optics Imaging of Geosynchronous Satellites
In this study, the feasibility and utility of using a maneuverable nanosatellite laser guide star from a geostationary equatorial orbit have been assessed to enable ground-based, adaptive optics imaging of geosynchronous satellites with next-generation extremely large telescopes. The concept for a s...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | en_US |
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Journal of Spacecraft & Rockets
2017
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| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/110957 |
| _version_ | 1824458276977246208 |
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| author | Marlow, Weston Carlton, Ashley Hyosang, Yoon Clark, James Haughwout, Christian Cahoy, Kerri Males, Jared Close, Laird Morzinski, Katie |
| author2 | Space Telecommunications Astronomy and Radiation (STAR) Lab |
| author_facet | Space Telecommunications Astronomy and Radiation (STAR) Lab Marlow, Weston Carlton, Ashley Hyosang, Yoon Clark, James Haughwout, Christian Cahoy, Kerri Males, Jared Close, Laird Morzinski, Katie |
| author_sort | Marlow, Weston |
| collection | MIT |
| description | In this study, the feasibility and utility of using a maneuverable nanosatellite laser guide star from a geostationary equatorial orbit have been assessed to enable ground-based, adaptive optics imaging of geosynchronous satellites with next-generation extremely large telescopes. The concept for a satellite guide star was first discussed in the literature by Greenaway and Clark in the early 1990s ("PHAROS: An Agile Satellite-Borne Laser Guidestar," Proceedings of SPIE, Vol. 2120, 1994, pp. 206-210), and expanded upon by Albert in 2012 ("Satellite-Mounted Light Sources as Photometric Calibration Standards for Ground-Based Telescopes," Astronomical Journal, Vol. 143, No. 1, 2012, p. 8). With a satellite-based laser as an adaptive optics guide star, the source laser does not need to scatter, and is well above atmospheric turbulence. When viewed from the ground through a turbulent atmosphere, the angular size of the satellite guide star is much smaller than a backscattered source. Advances in small-satellite technology and capability allowed the revisiting of the concept on a 6U CubeSat, measuring 10×20×30 cm. It is shown that a system that uses a satellite-based laser transmitter can be relatively low power (~1 W transmit power) and operated intermittently. Although the preliminary analysis indicates that a single satellite guide star cannot be used for observing multiple astronomical targets, it will only require a little propellant to relocate within the geosynchronous belt. Results of a design study on the feasibility of a small-satellite guide star have been presented, and the potential benefits to astronomical imaging and to the larger space situational awareness community have been highlighted. |
| first_indexed | 2024-09-23T14:04:40Z |
| format | Article |
| id | mit-1721.1/110957 |
| institution | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| language | en_US |
| last_indexed | 2025-02-19T04:23:20Z |
| publishDate | 2017 |
| publisher | Journal of Spacecraft & Rockets |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | mit-1721.1/1109572025-02-11T19:58:16Z Laser-Guide-Star Satellite for Ground-Based Adaptive Optics Imaging of Geosynchronous Satellites Marlow, Weston Carlton, Ashley Hyosang, Yoon Clark, James Haughwout, Christian Cahoy, Kerri Males, Jared Close, Laird Morzinski, Katie Space Telecommunications Astronomy and Radiation (STAR) Lab Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics In this study, the feasibility and utility of using a maneuverable nanosatellite laser guide star from a geostationary equatorial orbit have been assessed to enable ground-based, adaptive optics imaging of geosynchronous satellites with next-generation extremely large telescopes. The concept for a satellite guide star was first discussed in the literature by Greenaway and Clark in the early 1990s ("PHAROS: An Agile Satellite-Borne Laser Guidestar," Proceedings of SPIE, Vol. 2120, 1994, pp. 206-210), and expanded upon by Albert in 2012 ("Satellite-Mounted Light Sources as Photometric Calibration Standards for Ground-Based Telescopes," Astronomical Journal, Vol. 143, No. 1, 2012, p. 8). With a satellite-based laser as an adaptive optics guide star, the source laser does not need to scatter, and is well above atmospheric turbulence. When viewed from the ground through a turbulent atmosphere, the angular size of the satellite guide star is much smaller than a backscattered source. Advances in small-satellite technology and capability allowed the revisiting of the concept on a 6U CubeSat, measuring 10×20×30 cm. It is shown that a system that uses a satellite-based laser transmitter can be relatively low power (~1 W transmit power) and operated intermittently. Although the preliminary analysis indicates that a single satellite guide star cannot be used for observing multiple astronomical targets, it will only require a little propellant to relocate within the geosynchronous belt. Results of a design study on the feasibility of a small-satellite guide star have been presented, and the potential benefits to astronomical imaging and to the larger space situational awareness community have been highlighted. 2017-08-15T18:51:59Z 2017-08-15T18:51:59Z 2017-05 Article 00224650 http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/110957 Marlow, W. A., Carlton, A. K., Hyosang, Y., Clark, J. R., Haughwout, C. A., Cahoy, K. L., & ... Morzinski, K. M. (2017). Laser-Guide-Star Satellite for Ground-Based Adaptive Optics Imaging of Geosynchronous Satellites. Journal Of Spacecraft & Rockets, 54(3), 621-639. en_US application/pdf Journal of Spacecraft & Rockets |
| spellingShingle | Marlow, Weston Carlton, Ashley Hyosang, Yoon Clark, James Haughwout, Christian Cahoy, Kerri Males, Jared Close, Laird Morzinski, Katie Laser-Guide-Star Satellite for Ground-Based Adaptive Optics Imaging of Geosynchronous Satellites |
| title | Laser-Guide-Star Satellite for Ground-Based Adaptive Optics Imaging of Geosynchronous Satellites |
| title_full | Laser-Guide-Star Satellite for Ground-Based Adaptive Optics Imaging of Geosynchronous Satellites |
| title_fullStr | Laser-Guide-Star Satellite for Ground-Based Adaptive Optics Imaging of Geosynchronous Satellites |
| title_full_unstemmed | Laser-Guide-Star Satellite for Ground-Based Adaptive Optics Imaging of Geosynchronous Satellites |
| title_short | Laser-Guide-Star Satellite for Ground-Based Adaptive Optics Imaging of Geosynchronous Satellites |
| title_sort | laser guide star satellite for ground based adaptive optics imaging of geosynchronous satellites |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/110957 |
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