Search-Based vs Task-Based Space Surveillance for Ground-Based Telescopes

The goal of this thesis was to compare the current task-based space surveillance performance to a search based method of space surveillance in the GEO belt region. The performance of a ground telescope network, similar to an operational network, was modeled and simulated using AGIs Systems Tool Kit (STK) and Python. The model compared the two methods by simulating 813 Resident Space Objects (RSOs) on 21 Jun, 22 Sep, and 21 Dec. Six different search areas with varying starting positions were also used. Performance metrics for comparing the two methods were smallest detectable size, detection rate, coverage area, and latency. Results have shown that the smallest detectable size average for task-based was 47.6 cm in diameter while search based methods ranged from 38.3 cm-45.4 cm in diameter. Detection rate for task-based was 100 while the search-based ranged from 91.7 -96.8 . Coverage area for task-based was 46 of the GEO belt and the search-based method ranged from 3.5 -84.4 . Average latency for task-based was 78 minutes and search based methods ranged from 62-469 minutes. It was found that task-based surveillance performed better incurrent operational conditions. However, if the number of RSOs is increased there will be a point when search method will have better performance.