RCC: Space Debris Control System

Main article: Space debris

2022: Development of a space debris control system

On January 10, 2022, the Russian Space Systems Company (RKS, part of the Roscosmos State Corporation) announced that its specialists for monitoring near-Earth space and observing artificial objects in Earth orbit offer to use current photonics technologies and original methods of ground-based processing of optical information. The relevant space debris control system was developed and patented by the RCC to solve one of the most pressing tasks - cleaning up the Earth's orbit from spent artificial Earth satellites, various space objects and their fragments.

Use of photonic technologies to control space debris

With the help of optical signals and their processing system, it will be possible to find, recognize, identify, measure dimensions and calculate the trajectory of movement of even small debris debris. The system will be able to identify potential threats to the timely response and change of motion paths, for example, spacecraft or spacecraft. Space debris will be monitored by ground-based optical telescopes. The project involves the construction of an optoelectronic control system using three serially connected information channels and aperture synthesis technology to increase the viewing angle.

"The presence of so-called space debris in orbit is becoming one of the problems of space exploration and an increasing threat to environmental security. The RCC proposes to use high resolution optoelectronic systems that determine the coordinates of small space objects with great accuracy. Our solution can be guaranteed to search, measure and identify fragments of space debris of various sizes, " says the author of the project, chief researcher at the RKS expert analytical center, Professor Konstantin Sviridov.

In order to improve the quality of the received data and to filter noise (eliminate interference from a useful signal or reduce the error level in data transmission channels), PCC experts propose using the photon counting method, which is used when recording weak signals. The system will also perform photocount detection (optical encoding of images and computational decoding to obtain images of higher quality), as well as digital adaptive correlation processing of the obtained information.

In 2021, the RKS holding demonstrated the so-called high-precision optical clocks using photonics technology, which form a signal of exact frequency and time to increase the accuracy of GLONASS geo-positioning. The RCC conducts scientific research in the field of photonics simultaneously in several areas - the creation of sensor, measuring and converting equipment, multispectral cameras, a component base and metamaterials based on photonic technologies will open up additional opportunities for space exploration.