TsNIIMash patented a “friend-foe” laser identification system for satellites

3D map of all satellites and space debris in Earth orbit

The radar identification system (Own-Alien) is a hardware-software technical complex for automatically distinguishing its troops and armaments from enemy forces. The system is traditionally used in military affairs, starting with the tribal coloration of primitive tribes, Indians, and the use of tattoos. In the modern army, each army has the form of the established pattern for distinguishing its own and foreign soldiers, as well as a system of passwords and reviews.

But how to implement the recognition of "friend or foe" in space? For example, if the radar identification for some reason does not work. Or is it necessary to determine the satellite belonging by its fragments? An interesting solution to the problem is offered by the specialists of TsNIImash, the leading scientific institute of the state corporation Roscosmos. In the manufacture of satellites, they suggest adding a special reflective coating to the body material or applying a special light-reflecting coating to the surface, Izvestia writes .

The chemical composition of the substance will be coded the country of ownership, the tasks of the spacecraft, the name of the satellite. The coating must be applied not only on the case of the device, but also on solar panels. Information is read by a laser beam from a ground station. Appropriate equipment can be manufactured at the Titov Altai Optical Laser Center, the inventors say.

According to experts, such a system will quickly identify the violating devices in orbit and prove the guilt of the host country. In the event of an accident of a satellite, it will be possible to identify it even by debris.

“The proposed invention can serve as the basis for the development of a draft international agreement on the identification marking of space assets. This will increase the level of trust and transparency in space activities, ”Izvestia was told at TsNIImash. “As political and economic conditions mature, this can be a promising initiative of Russia and a means of increasing the reliability of space technology.”

TsNIIMash has already patented a new identification system.

According to NASA orbital debris statistics , more than 21,000 space debris of more than 10 cm in size are located in earth orbit. The number of fragments from 1 to 10 cm is estimated at about 500,000, the number of objects less than 1 cm exceeds 100,000,000 pieces. Large objects are routinely monitored by the US Space Observation Network (and warns the ISS of the need for maneuver in case of trajectories crossing a large object). Objects up to 3 mm can be registered by ground-based radars.

The main sources of space debris are satellite explosions and collisions. Until 2007, the main source was debris from the explosions of the upper stages of old rockets, which remained in orbit with the remnants of fuel, including liquid fuel under high pressure. But then the situation changed. The intentional subversion by the Chinese of its meteorological satellite Fengyun-1C in 2007, as well as the accidental collision of the Russian and American communications satellites in 2009, dramatically worsened the situation. A third of all modern debris in orbit emerged as a result of these two events.

Most of the man-made fragments are at an altitude of up to 2,000 km, and the maximum concentration is observed at an altitude of 750-800 km. Here, their average speed is about 7-8 km / s, but relative to other spacecraft, the average speed is 10 km / s. The key elements of the ISS can normally withstand a collision with the debris of space debris up to 1 cm in size at that speed. And it can be assumed that such collisions occur regularly. At least, the lining of the Mir station after 15 years in orbit was spotted with collisions with small fragments of space debris and meteoroids. Solar panels suffered the most damage, but this did not affect the mission and functionality of the station, according to NASA.


Station "Mir", filmed by the crew of the ship "Atlantis", September 19, 1996

The higher the orbit, the longer the space debris will remain in space. For example, at an altitude of 800 km it can be for decades, and at an altitude of more than 1000 km - for centuries. For example, the Tesla Roadster on the Falcon Heavy rocket has a chance of falling back to Earth at just 6% in the next million years .

After the launch of the global satellite constellation of SpaceX and other companies, the number of satellites and space debris will increase by an order of magnitude, so that it will become more difficult to recognize them only with optical means using telescopes. This is where the laser identification system for the chemical composition of the case comes in handy. However, the scientific director of the Space Policy Institute, Ivan Moiseev, expressed the opinion that the patented method is too complicated and is unlikely to be implemented in practice. In his opinion, in order to combat space debris, other systems need to be introduced: for example, all satellites must be equipped with information systems from orbit.