Center for Space Situational Awareness Research
The Center for Space Situational Awareness Research (CSSAR) provides cadets and faculty at the United States Air Force Academy an education and research program in space situational awareness (SSA) using world-class facilities and capabilities.
CORE COMPETENCIES
- Small aperture optical telescopes for satellite characterization
- Non-imaging photometric, spectral and polarimetric techniques for characterization of un-resolved space objects.
- Data fusion and modeling
MAJOR PROJECTS
- Development of the Academy’s global Falcon Telescope Network
- Spectral measurements of solar panel glints from geosynchronous satellites
- Two-channel polarimetry to determine horizontal/vertical polarization states from un-resolved satellite optical signatures
- Long-term photometric observations of inactive geosynchronous satellites for debris monitoring
