With the future direction in satellite technology promising to be the production of nanosatellites, very small satellites no heavier than 10 kg or larger than 15 cm, operating in groups or clusters, the ability to detect and avoid collision is not known. Perhaps with the smaller size, the effects of solar, planetary and cosmic radiation in overwhelming the radiometric signal from another satellite is quite large, degrading the changes for collision avoidance. This paper predicts the sensitivities of our mm- wave collision avoidance sensor for the orbital environment. The effects of strong radiation sources and the dynamics of satellite heating and motions are explored. Methods and techniques for obtaining this information are discussed.

Date Published: 29 September 1999
PDF: 9 pages
Proc. SPIE 3891, Electronics and Structures for MEMS, (29 September 1999); doi: 10.1117/12.364451

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 3891:
Electronics and Structures for MEMS
Neil W. Bergmann; Olaf Reinhold; Norman C. Tien, Editor(s)