Debris collision mitigation from the ground using laser guide star adaptive optics at mount Stromlo observatory. Issue 1 (March 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: N, Martinez; C, D'Orgeville; D, Grosse; M, Lingham; J, Webb; M, Copeland; A, Galla; J, Hart; I, Price; W, Schofield; E, Thorn; C, Smith; Y, Gao; Y, Wang; M, Blundell; A, Chan; A, Gray; G, Fetzer; S, Rako
• Is Part Of: Journal of space safety engineering. Volume 9:Issue 1(2022)
• Page Start: 106
• Page End: 113
• Publication Date: 2022-03
• Subjects: Debris collision mitigation -- Adaptive optics -- Laser guide star; ADR Active Debris Removal -- ANU Australian National University -- AO Adaptive Optics -- AOTP Adaptive Optics Tracking and Pushing -- BCO Beam Combining Optics -- BTO Beam Transfer Optics -- CW Continuous Wave -- DM Deformable Mirror -- EOS Electro Optic Systems -- GSL Guide Star Laser -- GSLE Guide Star Laser Enclosure -- HPL High-Power Laser -- IADC Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee -- JCA Just in time Collision Avoidance -- LGS Laser Guide Star -- LGSF Laser Guide Star Facility -- LEO Low Earth Orbit -- LLT Laser Launch Telescope -- NICT National Institute of Information and Communications Technology -- OPSL Optically Pumped Semiconductor Laser -- RMIT Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology -- SERC Space Environment Research Centre -- VECSEL Vertical External Cavity Surface-Emitting Lasers -- WFS Wavefront Sensor; Astronautics -- Periodicals; Space flight -- Periodicals; Space flight -- Safety measures -- Periodicals; Space flight -- Safety regulations -- Periodicals; Astronautics -- Safety measures -- Periodicals; Astronautics -- Safety regulations -- Periodicals; 629.4
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jsse.2021.10.007
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2468-8967

Abstract

Abstract: The Australian National University (ANU) and industry partners EOS Space Systems and Lockheed Martin are part of the Space Environment Research Centre (SERC), an Australian-Government funded cooperative research centre headquartered in Canberra, Australia. SERC aims to mitigate the threat of collisions with space debris using a ground-based high power (10-20kW) infrared (IR) laser to modify the debris orbit should a collision be predicted. To that end, the ANU has equipped the EOS 1.8m laser tracking station telescope on the ANU Mount Stromlo campus with a state-of-the-art Laser Guide Star Adaptive Optics (LGS AO) system to pre-compensate the IR laser prior to propagation through earth's atmosphere. The ANU LGS AO system is currently being integrated with the EOS telescope and the high-power IR laser. This paper provides a brief overview of the LGS AO system and focus more specifically on the design, integration and commissioning of the first LGS facility ever constructed in Australia. The LGS Facility includes two sodium guide star laser sources which can be either propagated separately or combined so as to produce a brighter reference star to maximise adaptive optics correction. The two lasers, their beam combining optics, their common beam transfer optics, and the laser launch telescope are hereby described.