Space Situational Awareness (SSA)

Tracking satellites, space junk, and other low-earth-orbit objects is vital for identifying hazards to in orbit and ground infrastructure.

Partnering with Defence, the ICNS has proven that we can achieve measurements that cannot be done with other available technology, such as:

• observation of the International Space Station from a ground-based telescope during bright daylight;
• using a neuromorphic camera on a satellite to look at space junk and integrating this camera on a satellite developed by UNSW Canberra;
• determination of the theoretical capabilities and limits of event-based sensors for SSA, and their application to Adaptive Optics.

Some video examples of our work in this area:

• Fusion of Multiple Sensors (opens in a new window)
• Simultaneous Sky Mapping and Satellite Tracking (opens in a new window)
• Seeing the Moon (opens in a new window)

We are demonstrating our Astrosite mobile observatory (opens in a new window) at the Australian International Airshow and Aerospace & Defence Exposition (opens in a new window) this week.