海角社区

Space debris is a present and growing hazard for satellite communication and space exploration. There are efforts to find new ways of detecting space debris to avoid collisions with spacecraft at different altitudes, to complement traditional methods such radars optical telescopes. In this talk we will present research on the detection of space debris and satellites in the ionosphere by studying different kinds of plasma waves (whistlers, lower hybrid and magnetosonic waves) that are emitted when the satellite propagates through the ionosphere and interacts with plasma irregularities. The Canadian Cassiope/e-POP satellite, operated by University of Calgary, sometimes observes enhanced wave activity in the 1-10 kHz range during conjunctions with another satellites or space debris, in the low earth orbit (LEO) 350-1000 km. There are also natural whistler wave emissions due to lightning strikes and man-made transmissions by VLF stations for submarine communication, which are easy to identify. We will show modelling results, including space craft charging, and simulations of wave excitation by the charged satellite as it propagates through space, and how these waves can be detected and interpreted based on their frequency and polarization.