Sattelite wreck identification

[YL3GDY]

Hi All,

I wonder how space monitoring organisations identify some pieces of space debris as a part of some satellite?

Visually it's very hard to recognize anything on it, but orbital data may be very different from parent craft(because of some initial velocity, sun light pressure, atmospheric drag etc.).

Alex.

 

[Urwumpe]

Hi All,

I wonder how space monitoring organisations identify some pieces of space debris as a part of some satellite?

Visually it's very hard to recognize anything on it, but orbital data may be very different from parent craft(because of some initial velocity, sun light pressure, atmospheric drag etc.).

Alex.

For low flying objects, ISAR radar can be used. This uses Doppler- and other electromagnetic effects for producing an accurate radar image of the satellite, with about 5 cm accuracy for a 30m antenna. The only problem is, that such radar images look nowhere like a visual image, more like a group of blurry spots, with brightness depending on radar return.

 

[RisingFury]

Sunlight pressure can be neglected. It's so small that we can't even detect it. Drag at higher altitudes is enough to counter it

 

[SiberianTiger]

(wrote a big text, then realized that you were right )