• Journal of the Korean Society for Aeronautical & Space Sciences
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• v.49 no.9
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• pp.771-780
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• 2021

The space Debris laser ranging system is called to be a definite type of satellite laser ranging system that measures the distance to satellites. It is a system that performs POD (Precise Orbit Determination) by measuring time of flight by firing a laser. Distance precision can be measured in mm-level units, and it is the most precise system among existing systems. Currently, KASI has built SLR in Sejong and Geochang, and utilized SLR data to verify the precise orbits of the STSAT-2C and KOMASAT-5. In recent years, due to the fall or collision of space debris, its satellites have been threatened, and in terms of security, laser tracking of space objects is receiving great interest in order to protect their own space assets and protect the safety of the people. In this paper, a 1.5m-class main mirror was applied for the system design of a multipurpose laser tracking system that considers satellite laser ranging and space object laser tracking. System preliminary performance analysis was performed based on Link Budget analysis considering specifications of major components.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Aeronautical & Space Sciences
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• v.49 no.11
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• pp.953-960
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• 2021

Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute has been verifying the multipurpose laser tracking system with three functions of satellite laser tracking, adaptive optics and space debris laser tracking for not only scientific research but also national space missions. The system employs an optical telescope consisting of a 100 cm primary mirror and an altazimuth mount for fast and precise tracking. The precise pointing and tracking capability in a tracking mount is considered as one of important performance metrics in the fields of automatic tracking and precise application research. So it is required to analyze a mount model for investigating pointing error factors and compensating pointing error. In this study, we investigated various factors causing static pointing errors of tracking mount and analyzed the pointing accuracy of the tracking mount at Geochang observatory by estimating mount parameters based on the least square method.

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Information and Communication Engineering
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• v.25 no.12
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• pp.1826-1834
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• 2021

In this paper, we check the possibility of continuous tracking when photographing unknown space objects in a short period of time in an optical observation system on the ground. Simulated observation data were generated for target limited to low-orbit areas. The performance index of the prediction error was set in consideration of the property of targets. Kalman Filter was applied to predict the next location of the target. A constant velocity/acceleration dynamic model was applied to the two axes of the azimuth/elevation of the unknown space object respectively. As a result of performing the Monte Carlo simulation, the maximum error ratio of the maximum nonlinear section was less than 2%, which could be determined to ensure continuous tracking. The CA model had little change in the prediction error value for each case, making it more suitable for tracking unknown space objects. This analysis could provide a foundation for determining the orbit of unknown space objects using optical observation.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Aeronautical & Space Sciences
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• v.43 no.9
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• pp.830-837
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• 2015

Space debris has been a major issue recently for the space-active nations because its growing population is expected to increase the collision risk with operational satellites. Radar and electro-optical system has been used for space debris surveillance, which may cause unnecessary anti-collision manoeuvers due to their low tracking accuracy. So an additional tracking system is required to improve the predicted orbit accuracy and then to jude the anti-collision maneouvers more efficiently. The laser tracking system has been considered as an alternative to decrease these unnecessary manoeuvers. Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute has been developing a space object laser tracking system which is capable of laser tracking for satellites with retro-reflectors and for space debris using high power laser, and satellite imaging using adaptive optics. In this study, the tracking capability is analyzed for space debris using high power laser based on link budget, false alarm probability and signal detection probability.

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Information and Communication Engineering
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• v.26 no.9
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• pp.1312-1319
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• 2022

This paper defines an effectiveness index for optical continuous observation of unknown space objects and presents a range of design variables combinations that can satisfy the effectiveness index from a telescope/mount control system perspective using integrated simulation. The overall system-level simulation was implemented and the tracking performance was analyzed by considering design variables such as target position prediction and frame rate, image processing time and measurement error, target trajectory characteristics, and maneuver performance of mount gimbal. As a result of the analysis, it was confirmed that the continuous tracking performance of the optical observation system is dependent on the combination of frame rate and mount maneuver performance. In a situation where an optical observation system is designed or a similar system is implemented using COTS, an appropriate combination of parameters between design variables can be found through effectiveness analysis simulation as in this study.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.435-444
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• 2006

Since artificial space objects are observable only in a short period of time and the characteristics of their motion is not exactly predictable, it is difficult to obtain both photometric and spectroscopic data by a set of observations. We have, therefore, designed a mount to load multi-optical instruments on the Kyung Hee University (KHU) satellite tracking and observation system for both photometric and spectroscopic observations of artificial space objects. In this paper, we have calculated the deformation of the remodeled mount using structural analyses for the loading of the multi-optical instruments. We have also deduced pointing errors of the mount occurring at tracking and observing artificial space objects. we have derived tracking reliably artificial space objects in our field of view and confirmed structural safety test of mount utilizing equivalent (von-mises) stress distribution.

• Bulletin of the Korean Space Science Society
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• 2006.10a
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• pp.37-37
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• 2006

• Bulletin of the Korean Space Science Society
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• 2009.10a
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• pp.27.2-27.2
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• 2009

SLR (Satellite Laser Ranging) 데이터의 높은 거리측정 정밀도는 위성 추적 시스템의 검증 및 보정, 위성의 정밀궤도결정, 지구와 관련된 물리 상수 및 모델 검증, 우주파편과 같은 우주물체의 추적 및 감시 등에 활용이 가능하다. 특히 위성의 정밀궤도결정에 SLR 데이터를 활용하는 것은 고정밀 지구관측 위성 및 독자적인 항법 시스템 운영에 필수적인 부분이다. SLR 시스템은 위성 관측 가능 시간 및 지역이 한정되어 있기 때문에 정밀궤도 결정에 활용하는 것이 쉽지 않다. 따라서 이 연구에서는 SLR 데이터를 사용하기 위한 효율적인 정밀궤도결정 전략에 대해서 알아보았다. 동역학 및 관측 모델, 지상국의 개수, 초기 궤도 오차, 필터링 방법, 고도각에 따른 관측 데이터 선택 등의 기준을 선정하고 각각의 경우에 대해 정밀궤도결정을 수행하고 결과를 분석하였다. 정밀궤도결정 테스트를 위해서는 YLPODS (Yonsei Laser-ranging Precision Orbit Determination System)과 SLR정규점 (Normal Point) 데이터를 사용하였다. 이를 통해서 SLR 데이터를 사용하기 위한 효율적인 정밀궤도결정 전략에 대해 고찰해보았다.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.153-162
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• 2003

Recently, we have reconstructed LX-200 12inch telescope system for tracking and observing man-made space object. Motor, motor driver and motion controller were up-graded for getting faster respond characteristic and active control available. Also, command signal was offered to the PID controller into motor driver as computed real orbiting information of objects using PC, and it's control period of command signal was reduced to the 20ms. As the result, slew speed of the mount system was in proved up to $18^{\circ}/sec$ and respond speed of the system was faster than that of commercial system. Also, flipping state of image observed could be minimized by the up-graded system.

• Journal of Space Technology and Applications
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.1-11
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• 2024

Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI) developed an satellite laser ranging (SLR) system for tracking space objects using ultra-pulsed lasers. For the safe operation of SLR system, aircraft surveillance radar system (ASRS) was developed to prevent human damage from high power laser transmitted from the SLR system. The ASRS consists of the radar hardware subsystem (RHS) and main control subsystem (MCS), in order to detect flying objects in the direction of laser propagation and then stop immediately the laser transmission. The RHS transmits the radio frequency (RF) pulse signals and receives the returned signals, while the MCS analyzes the characteristics of received signals and distinguishes the existence of flying objects. If the flying objects are determined to be existed, the MCS sends the command signal to the laser controller in SLR system to pause the laser firing. In this study, we address the interface and operational scenarios of ASRS, including the design of RHS and MCS. It was demonstrated in the aircraft experiments that the ASRS could detect an aircraft and then stop transmitting high power laser successfully.