• The Journal of Korean Institute of Electromagnetic Engineering and Science
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• v.29 no.8
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• pp.648-659
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• 2018

In this study, both the altitude error due to the refraction and the range error due to the delay in the ionosphere with respect to the frequency are extracted according to the radar elevation to analyze the effect of atmosphere on the space surveillance radar. To achieve this, the radio refractivity profile is modeled using the measured data from domestic weather stations. Then, the altitude-error due to the refraction is extracted using the ray tracing method, and the range error in the ionosphere is extracted according to the frequency. Further, considerations for radar design with respect to the radar error characteristics are discussed based on the abroad space surveillance radar and proposed domestic space surveillance radar. This analysis of the error characteristics is expected to be utilized for the determination of radar location, range of steering, and frequency in the space surveillance radar design.

• The Journal of Korean Institute of Electromagnetic Engineering and Science
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.214-224
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• 2018

Continuous space development increases the occurrence probability of space hazards such as collapse of a satellite and collision between a satellite and space debris. In Korea, a space surveillance network with optical system has been developed; however, the radar technology for an independent space surveillance needs to be secured. Herein, an L-band phased array radar system for the detection and tracking of space objects is proposed to provide a number of services including collision avoidance and the prediction of re-entry events. With the mission analysis of space surveillance and the case analysis of foreign advanced radar systems, the radar parameters are defined and designed. The proposed radar system is able to detect a debris having a diameter of 10 cm at a maximum distance of 1,576 km. In addition, we confirmed the possibility of using the space surveillance mission for domestic satellites through the analysis of the detection area.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Aeronautical & Space Sciences
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• v.44 no.5
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• pp.447-454
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• 2016

Increase of space debris makes low earth orbit(LEO) environment more complex day by day and space situation Awareness(SSA) is becoming more important. As an essential part of SSA, space object surveillance and tracking is studied by many countries including America and Europe. And radar system forms the backbone of an space surveillance and tracking. Currently, Korea operates many LEO satellites like KOMPSAT but does not have dedicated radar systems which provide collision surveillance between satellite and space debris. Korea Aerospace Research Institute(KARI) NARO space center operates launch-vehicle tracking radar system in GOHEUNG and JEJU, respectively. In this paper, we describe developing operation concept to track International Space Station(ISS) using NARO radar and results of tracking. Then, we describe ISS orbit determination using radar tracking data. Lastly, orbit determination result is compares with TLE for analyzing effectiveness of orbit determination.

• Journal of Advanced Navigation Technology
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.616-622
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• 2024

Recently, each country is competitively investing huge amounts of money in space development, and space risks such as tens of thousands of satellites, spy satellites, and space debris are increasing. Although there are several assets for monitoring space, interest is growing in the detection of space objects using radar, which is useful for constant alert and wide-area surveillance. While the existing radar system was operated to detect aircraft, ships, and missiles within hundreds of kilometers, radar to detect space objects must be expanded to thousands of kilometers. In this case, the size of data that impairs signal processing increases, which can lead to a decrease in radar detection performance. In this paper, we present a method of speeding up signal processing using GPU when detecting space objects, which are long-distance targets, and the results of comparing performance compared to existing CPUs.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.303-314
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• 2017

With increased human activity in space, the risk of re-entry and collision between space objects is constantly increasing. Hence, the need for space situational awareness (SSA) programs has been acknowledged by many experienced space agencies. Optical and radar sensors, which enable the surveillance and tracking of space objects, are the most important technical components of SSA systems. In particular, combinations of radar systems and optical sensor networks play an outstanding role in SSA programs. At present, Korea operates the optical wide field patrol network (OWL-Net), the only optical system for tracking space objects. However, due to their dependence on weather conditions and observation time, it is not reasonable to use optical systems alone for SSA initiatives, as they have limited operational availability. Therefore, the strategies for developing radar systems should be considered for an efficient SSA system using currently available technology. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the performance of a radar system in detecting and tracking space objects. With the radar system investigated, the minimum sensitivity is defined as detection of a $1-m^2$ radar cross section (RCS) at an altitude of 2,000 km, with operating frequencies in the L, S, C, X or Ku-band. The results of power budget analysis showed that the maximum detection range of 2,000 km, which includes the low earth orbit (LEO) environment, can be achieved with a transmission power of 900 kW, transmit and receive antenna gains of 40 dB and 43 dB, respectively, a pulse width of 2 ms, and a signal processing gain of 13.3 dB, at a frequency of 1.3 GHz. We defined the key parameters of the radar following a performance analysis of the system. This research can thus provide guidelines for the conceptual design of radar systems for national SSA initiatives.

• The Journal of Korean Institute of Electromagnetic Engineering and Science
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• v.18 no.9
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• pp.1090-1097
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• 2007

The multibeam surveillance radar is a state-of art of 3D radar technology. It applies the stacked beam-on-received realized by a digital beamformer. In this paper, a design concept of beamformer and a method of target altitude extraction for multibeam surveillance radar in the normal environmental condition considering no multipath situations are proposed and investigated. The extraction algorithm based on antenna sine space coordinated system in a FFT digital beamformer is described. The proposed algorithm is simulated by 1 look-up table data and confirmed to have consistent results in accordance with a variety of target altitudes and a full radar frequency range.

• Proceedings of KOSOMES biannual meeting
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• 2006.05a
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• pp.41-45
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• 2006

From the 1978 Seasat synthetic aperture radar(SAR) to present systems, spaceborne SAR has demonstrated the capability to image the Earth's ocean and land features over broad areas, day and night, and under most weather conditions. The application of SAR for surveillance of commercial fishing grounds can did in the detection of illegal fishing activities and provides more efficient use cf limited aircraft or patron craft resources. In the area of vessel traffic monitoring for commercial vessels, Vessel Traffic Service (VTS) which uses the ground-based radar system has some difficulties in detecting moving ships due to the limited detection range cf about 10 miles. This paper introduces the field testing results of ship detection by RADARSAT SAR imagery, and proposes a new approach for a Vessel Monitoring System(VMS), including VTS, and SAR combination service.

• Proceedings of KOSOMES biannual meeting
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• 2007.05a
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• pp.127-132
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• 2007

From the 1978 Seasat synthetic aperture radar(SAR) to present systems, spaceborne SAR has demonstrated the capability to image the Earth's ocean and land features over broad areas, day and night, and under most weather conditions. The application of SAR for surveillance of commercial fishing grounds can aid in the detection of illegal fishing activities and provides more efficient use of limited aircraft or patrol craft resources. In the area of vessel traffic monitoring for commercial vessels, Vessel Traffic Service (VTS) which uses the ground-based radar system has some difficulties in detecting moving ships due to the limited detection range of about 10 miles. This paper introduces the field testing results of ship detection by RADARSAT SAR imagery, and proposes a new approach for a Vessel Monitoring System(VMS), including VTS, and SAR combination service.

• 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.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.105-115
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• 2020

The Korean Institute of Technology Satellite (KITSAT-1) is the first satellite developed by the Satellite Technology Research Center and the University of Surrey. KITSAT-1 is orbiting the Earth's orbit as space debris with a 1,320 km altitude after the planned mission. Due to its relatively small size and altitude, tracking the KITSAT-1 was a difficult task. In this research, we analyzed the tracking results of KITSAT-1 for one year using the Midland Space Radar (MSR) in Texas and the Poker Flat Incoherent Scatter Radar (PFISR) in Alaska operated by LeoLabs, Inc. The tracking results were analyzed on a weekly basis for MSR and PFISR. The observation was conducted by using both stations at an average frequency of 10 times per week. The overall corrected range measurements for MSR and PFISR by LeoLabs were under 50 m and 25 m, respectively. The ionospheric delay, the dominant error source, was confirmed with the International Reference of Ionosphere-16 model and Global Navigation Satellite System data. The weekly basis orbit determination results were compared with two-line element data. The comparison results were used to confirm the orbital consistency of the estimated orbits.