Charged Coupled Device Debris Telescope Observations of the Geosynchronous Orbital Debris Environment - Observing Year: 1998

By: Nasa, National Aeronautics and Space Adm

NASA has been using the charged coupled device (CCD) debris telescope (CDT)--a transportable 32-cm Schmidt telescope located near Cloudcroft, New Mexico-to help characterize the debris environment in geosynchronous Earth orbit (GEO). The CDT is equipped with a SITe 512 x 512 CCD camera whose 24 m2 (12.5 arc sec) pixels produce a 1.7 x 1.7-deg field of view. The CDT system can therefore detect l7th-magnitude objects in a 20-sec integration corresponding to an approx. 0.6-m diameter, 0.20 albedo object at 36,000 km. The telescope pointing and CCD operation are computer controlled to collect data automatically for an entire night. The CDT has collected more than 1500 hrs of data since November 1997. This report describes the collection and analysis of 58 nights (approx. 420 hrs) of data acquired in 1998.Jarvis, K. S. and Thumm, T. L. and Matney, M. J. and Jorgensen, K. and Stansbery, E. G. and Africano, J. L. and Sydney, P. F. and Mulrooney, M. K.Johnson Space CenterCCD CAMERAS; SCHMIDT TELESCOPES; SPACE DEBRIS; GEOSYNCHRONOUS ORBITS; FIELD OF VIEW; PIXELS; DATA ACQUISITION; ALBEDO

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1723820067
• ISBN13: 9781723820069
• Release Date: January 1
• Publisher: Independently Published
• Length: 66 Pages
• Weight: 0.39 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.1" x 8.5" x 11.0"