Observation of space debris by ground-based laser ranging system and research on detecting ability

High precise measurement of space debris is an important way to improve the precise surveillance and collision prediction for space debris. As one of space debris measuring technology based on the ground-based electro-optic telescopes, laser ranging is the most accurate. According to characteristic of laser ranging to space debris and aiming at the international technical development, through the development of high power laser system and the breakthrough of high efficiency laser signal detection, the space debris laser ranging system with the aperture of 60 cm telescope was set up as the pioneer in the development of laser measurement to space debris in China. The routine laser measurement of space debris were implemented with the measured distance from 500 km to 2 600 km, cross section from less than 0.5 m2 to more than 10 m2. According to the laser ranging link equation of space debris, combining with the statistic of laser echoes, and considering the sunlight arcs of space debris orbit when passing through the ground station, the detection simulation model of ground-based laser ranging system were constructed. The evaluation of detected ability of space debris laser ranging system with 60 cm aperture telescope was also performed with the capability of measuring debris at the distance of 1 000 km and diameter of more than 50 cm which accorded with the actual measurement results. The simulation models of laser ranging to space debris will lay the foundation for the ground-based laser ranging system with high efficient running and development of observation equipment and evaluation of detection efficiency in future.