Satellite and debris characterisation in LEO and GEO using adaptive optics

Abstract

Ground based optical measurements provide useful information for space situational awareness. We report on the design of an adaptive optics (AO) system built by the Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics at the Australian National University. The adaptive optics imaging (AOI) system is built for a 1.8 m telescope at Mount Stromlo Observatory in Canberra, Australia. AOI uses a 277 actuator deformable mirror (DM) and Shack Hartmann wavefront sensor operating at up to 2kHz. We have improved imaging quality with custom lenses optimised for a 600 - 950 nm wavelength range. We use an acquisition mode with a 75 arcsecond field of view to assist in locating objects quickly. We have completed the optical and mechanical design of AOI. The system is currently being built and we will integrate it onto the telescope and begin on-sky operating in early 2018.