Space debris detected in broad daylight for the first time using a powerful laser instrument

A team of researchers was able to detect space debris in broad daylight for the first time. The distance to the object was determined by scientists of University of Bern using a geodetic laser.

The discovery was made on 24 June 2020 at the Swiss Optical Ground Station and Geodynamics Observatory Zimmerwald. Scientists measured the distance from the ground to the debris using a satellite laser. Most of the space debris in orbit can be found within 2,000 km of Earth's surface. Within this altitude, the amount of debris varies considerably depending on which part of the low-Earth orbit you look. The highest concentrations is found between 800-850 km, according to NASA.

Speaking of the method used to locate the debris, Professor Thomas Schildknecht, head of the Zimmerwald Observatory and deputy director of the Astronomical Institute at the University of Bern, said that the observatory has been studying similar distance measurements for years but only a handful of "observatories worldwide have succeeded in determining distances to space debris using special, powerful lasers to date".

Space junk or space debris is "any piece of machinery or debris left by humans in space," as per the Natural History Museum. These can be large objects like dead satellites or spent rocket parts or even waste used by human beings dumped into space.

Satellites need to steer clear of any existent debris in order to avoid collision. With the growing number of satellites being launched, and rise in space traffic in orbit, the amount of junk left behind is also increasing at a rapid pace. The problem is such that the low-Earth orbit has become an "orbital space junkyard."

Hence, it is important that organizations work on steps to detect space debris more efficiently. The recent finding will help scientists detect collisions with satellites at an early stage and initiate evasive manoeuvres, as per a press release by University of Bern.

The laser technology used was previously thought to only work in the night, the release added.

The feat of tracking the debris in daylight was only possible because of a CMOS (complementary metal oxide semiconductor) camera that was actively tracking the debris. This was aided by real-time image processing and a real-time digital filter to detect the photons reflected by the object in the daytime.

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