Innovative orbit determination algorithms for a complete debris catalogue in the upper LEO region

We present the results of a large scale simulation, reproducing the behaviour of a data centre for the build-up and maintenance of a complete catalogue of space debris in the upper part of the low Earth orbits region (LEO). The purpose is to determine the performances of a network of advanced optical sensors, through the use of the newest orbit determination algorithms developed by the Department of Mathematics of Pisa (DM). Such a network has been proposed to ESA in the Space Situational Awareness (SSA) framework by Carlo Gavazzi Space SpA (CGS), Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica (INAF), DM and Istituto di Scienza e Tecnologie dell'Informazione (ISTI-CNR). The conclusion is that it is possible to use a network of optical sensors to build up a catalogue containing more than 98% of the objects with perigee height between 1100 and 2000 km, which would be observable by a radar system as envisaged for the ESA SSA project. It is also possible to maintain such a catalogue within the accuracy requirements motivated by collision avoidance, and to detect catastrophic fragmentation events. However, such results depend upon specific assumptions on the sensor and on the software technologies.