Orbit determination of resident space objects using the P-band mono-beam receiver of the Sardinia Radio Telescope

Abstract

The population of space debris in near-Earth space is continuously growing and it represents a serious problem for active satellites and spacecraft. A performant ground-based and space-based network of sensors is necessary for space surveillance and consequently to prevent new collisions and monitoring atmospheric reentry of these objects. This paper illustrates the possible role of the Italian ground-based novel bi-static radar sensor, named BIRALET, for space monitoring and resident space objects tracking. The main characteristics of the receiver system, the Sardinia Radio Telescope with its P-band mono-beam receiver, are described in detail. Then, a preliminary analysis of the performance of the sensor is presented, and the results of numerical simulations are shown, providing a general overview on both observation capabilities and orbit determination accuracy achievable with the Sardinia Radio Telescope.