Simulation and Observational Evaluation of Space Debris Detection by Sanya Incoherent Scatter Radar

Abstract

According to the definition given by the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space. Scientific and Technical Subcommittee, space debris consists of man-made objects, including their fragments and parts, in Earth orbit that are nonfunctional with no reasonable expectation of their being able to assume or resume their intended functions or any other functions for which they are or can be authorized (United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space. Scientific and Technical Subcommittee, 1999). A more general definition is that space debris includes both naturally occurring meteoroids and objects in Earth orbit that are generated by human activity (Krisko, 2007). With the increase in human space activities, the amount of space debris increases year by year. According to the latest data published by the European Space Agency, there exists 1,036,500 pieces of space debris larger than 1 cm in diameter around our Earth, but only approximately 3% (30,040) of them with larger sizes were cataloged (Ruchi & Arpit, 2021). Among the space debris not cataloged, the part with a diameter between 1 and 10 cm was the most dangerous (Zhao et al., 2015). The threat comes from the lack of their predictive location information as well as the failure of the passive protection. For the ground observations of the space debris, radars, optical telescopes, and laser systems are usually employed (