Study on debris detection, identification and orbit reconstruction using ground and space based telescopes

The Group of Astrodynamics of University Sapienza (GAUSS) of Rome is involved from years in observation of space debris. This paper will focus on the detection and identification of objects along sun- synchronous orbits and on the development of a software tool to simulate an observation. The ARCA (Automation Robotics and Control for Aerospace) Group of Sapienza University of Rome has designed a high-fidelity software to simulate the satellite orbits and the relative observations from a point in space or on ground. The simulated orbital observations will be validated through on-ground observations with a telescope of the GAUSS observatory. The work will concern in a observation campaign with a telescopes, with diameters of 30 cm. The design of optical tube is completely manufactured by the GAUSS Group. One of the main concepts of the study is using optical devices to make observations and orbit determination with the use of a telescope mounted on satellites and ground based observatories taking pictures of the same area from different locations. The telescopes have to be time-synchronized in order to reconstruct the position of the object from the pictures with higher accuracy. The simulation will be conducted using single pass with multiple pictures.