Future radar-based SSA capabilities facing the New Space race

Abstract

The number of spacecraft and corresponding future space debris has increased dramatically since about 2010. Consequently, existing SSA capabilities and technologies become progressively overstrained and insufficient to provide authorities and decision makers with adequate information. It must be assumed that within the next decade a new military space race will evolve. There will be a large number of players, since space technology is becoming more and more available at low cost on open markets. Hence, modern technologies have to be developed for highly advanced SSA. The paper will introduce the present IoSiS radar system and show various imaging results of spacecraft in lower Earth orbit, predominantly the ISS as a quite large and complex object. Furthermore, the basic ideas of the new radar concept will be outlined and accompanied by simulations of expected capabilities.