Download Integration of a Small Telescope System for Space

Integration of a Small Telescope System for
Space Situational Awareness
Darcy Bibb
Oceanit
Mentor: Tony Bartnicki
Advisor: Curt Leonard
Home Institution: Maui Community College
Overview
• Oceanit’s HANDS
• Satellites
– What’s out there?
– Why track them?
• System integration
– Component assembly and configuration
• System modeling and calibration
– Polar alignment
– Mount model
• Autonomous tracking
• System’s future
HANDS
(High Accuracy Network Determination System)
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Global network of low-cost, ground-based telescope systems
Capable of autonomously tracking satellites
Can provide accurate position data (metrics) of satellites
All systems are remotely accessible
Why track satellites?
With over 8,000 man-made objects in orbit around Earth, the need to
track these objects is apparent
An optical system can:
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Track own country’s assets in space
Keep track of where other countries’ satellites are situated
Determine possible collisions
Determine when and where objects will re-enter Earth’s atmosphere
Detect new objects in space
System Integration
• Assembly of components into three basic assemblies:
– Computer system
– Weather sensors
– Optical assembly
• Combined assemblies make up overall complete telescope system
Computer System
• Computer system integration
– Install and wire individual components into portable server rack
– Install and configure software on each server
Front
Back
Weather Sensors
• Weather system integration
– Mount and wire all weather sensors on a portable weather pole
Optical Assembly
• Optical assembly integration
– Install robotic telescope mount onto portable pier
– Mount and balance optical tube assembly onto telescope mount
– Mount and wire onto back of optical tube assembly:
• CCD Camera
• Focuser
• Filter wheel
Complete System
System Modeling
• Polar alignment
– Polar alignment aligns the rotational axis of the telescope mount
parallel to the rotational axis of the Earth
– Ensures accuracy of telescope movement and pointing
• TPoint model
– Uses mapped stars for additional calculations and corrections to
improve mount alignment and external errors
Further Adjustments
• Bring images into focus
– Adjustments to telescope primary mirror – broad adjustments
– Mechanical focuser between telescope and camera – fine
adjustments
Optical system out
of focus
Faint stars still appear
out of focus
Completely focused
image
Autonomous Tracking
• Software on Linux server configured for scheduled tasking and to
provide scripts to software on the Windows server
• Software on Windows server executed scripts for telescope
movement, object tracking, and image capture
• System successfully started up autonomously and began tracking
satellites and saving images
Ballistic tracking
Sidereal tracking
Future of the System
• With system capable of autonomous operation:
– System will be moved into a test dome and set up
– Verify system will operate and run autonomously
– Complete system will run continuously for 21 days to test stability and
operation
• Upon successful completion of stability testing:
– System will be disassembled and packaged
– Deployed to final destination, and reassembled and set up on site
– System will run autonomously and return data to control center
Acknowledgements
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Oceanit
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Center for Adaptive Optics
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Tony Bartnicki
Curt Leonard
Everyone at Oceanit, Maui
Scott Seagroves
Lynne Raschke
Hilary O’Bryan
Akamai Workforce Initiative
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Lisa Hunter
Lani LeBron
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Maui Community College
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Maui Economic Development Board
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Mark Hoffman
Leslie Wilkins
2008 Maui Short Course
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Dave Harrington
Ryan Montgomery
Isar Mostafanezhad
Mark Pitts
Sarah Sonnet
The Akamai Internship Program is funded by the Center for Adaptive Optics through its National Science Foundation Science and Technology
Center grant (#AST-987683) and by grants to the Akamai Workforce Initiative from the National Science Foundation and Air Force Office
of Scientific Research (both administered by the NSF, #AST-0710699) and from the University of Hawaii.