Results of the first Italian planetary radar experiment

Radio astronomy and Space science in Azores: Enhancing the Atlantic VLBI infrastructure cluster

“…There have been considerable interests in promoting radar sensors in Portugal mainland and the Azores (in particular at Larger antennas could also be used for piggy-back space debris or NEOs monitoring up to GEO orbits using bistatic or multistatic surveying configurations. In 2001 the Medicina radiotelescope was used together with the Goldstone (USA) and the Evpatoria (Ukraine) transmitters to perform planetary radar observations of Near-Earth Asteroid 1998 WT24 (Di Martino et al, 2004). Therefore, the large S. Miguel SATCOM dish could also contribute in the future if appropriately configured with a piggy back receiver for observations or monitoring of space debris up to geostationary orbits, which due to distance are more difficult to observe, after receiving echos of a faraway transmitter in a bistatic configuration.…”

Activities in Europe related to the mitigation of the threat from near-Earth objects

“…A demonstration using the European Medicina radar station in Italy, together with the Evpatoria station in Ukraine and NASA's Goldstone antenna for asteroid observations, was performed in 2001 (Di Martino et al, 2004) but no followup activities had occurred. Another potential radar asset in Europe is the Tracking and Imaging radar TIRA in Germany.…”

First Detection of Two Near‐Earth Asteroids With a Southern Hemisphere Planetary Radar System

“…The rotation period (3.7 h) and a detailed shape model were obtained, with notable features of the radar observations showing a rounded shape with two large concavities on one hemisphere, with an effective diameter of 415 m, and a rough surface including possible evidence for a boulder in delay‐Doppler radar images. At that time, 1998 WT24 was also the target of two bistatic radar demonstrations in Europe, one involving the GSSR and Medicina and one involving Evpatoria and Medicina (Di Martino et al, ).…”