Infra-red space telescope proven successful

Citation

(2001), "Infra-red space telescope proven successful", Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, Vol. 73 No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/aeat.2001.12773aaf.008

Infra-red space telescope proven successful

Infra-red space telescope proven successful

Keywords: DERA, Infra-red devices

DERA's medium wave infrared (MWIR) telescope (one of the principal experiments on the Space Technology Research Vehicle 2 experiment satellite) is reported to have proven its ability to use space based infra-red technology to detect aircraft in flight.

With a result that has only ever been achieved twice before, the MWIR telescope has just spotted a single afterburning aircraft, which was on a co-operative flight over Taunton (UK) against a very cloudy background with high cirrus clouds. This was the equivalent feat of being able to stand in Edinburgh and spot an aircraft flying over Heathrow (i.e. a distance of 400km).

The next challenge is to test its ability to detect non-afterburning aircraft, which will be a world first.

The MWIR telescope has a total mass of 23kg, uses less power than a 60W light bulb and was designed, built and tested at DERA's Space Department. These are first results in the 12-month satellite research programme, which was launched on a Pegasus Launcher on 7 June 2000.

Aircraft are detected using a "frame differencing" technique, which compares two images taken over the same area at slightly different times. Small changes in the image can be extracted leading to the detection of the aircraft by virtue of its motion during the interval between the two images. This technique is believed to have the added potential of giving an indication of the aircraft's direction and speed.

During its mission a number of different UK military aircraft of various sizes will be flown under the satellite path to assess the telescope's performance. Data will be received, processed, and interrogated for detailed analysis, while the Civil Aviation Authority will also be providing air traffic control data to validate locations of air traffic in UK airspace.

STRV-2 also carries a number of US experiments; laser communications, vibration isolation, radiation monitoring, and electronics testing. At approximately 90 days into the mission the vibration isolation system will be activated, which is expected to improve the MWIR image quality. Further imaging opportunities will collaborate with other experiments on STRV-2; for example, to downlink the image data via a laser communications experiment.

In DERA's opinion the MWIR will improve UK understanding of space based imaging technologies, and the concept has evolved from a long history of collaboration between the UK MoD and US DoD.

Details available from: DERA. Tel: +44 (0) 1252 394572; Fax: +44 (0) 1252 394571; E-mail: jfsale@dera.gov.uk