A nano satellite constellation for detection of objects in earth orbit

Abstract

To support the European space situational awareness program a nano satellite constellation consisting of two satellites has been studied in the frame of a team design project. The very first study results shows that such a system can be a valuable contribution to the SSA program using a optical sensor system in orbit at a very low cost compared to larger satellites. The main advantage of such a system is independence from weather conditions and a large field of view, which promises a larger number of detections in shorter time compared to large aperture sized telescopes.