JAXA's Optical Observation Facility for Space Debris Observation and Its Activities

Abstract

Fig.2(a). Eccentric elbow-type mount, 25cm and 16cm telescopes. Fig.2(b). Fork-type mount and 35cm telescope The innovative technology research center of JAXA is developing observation technology for GEO objects in order to deal with the space debris problem. The center constructed a space debris observation facility at Mt. Nyukasa, Nagano in 2006. The observation facility contains two telescopes and two large CCD cameras. The main objective of the facility is to establish technologies to detect un-cataloged GEO debris and determine their orbits, and to incorporate theses technologies in the Bisei Spaceguard Center in Okayama. GEO debris detection software is being developed that can detect unresolved objects in CCD frames, and a new orbital determination method is being tested that can determine the orbits of many GEO objects. This paper presents the details of the facility and research activities.