MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Inc. (Formerly Neptec Design Group)

Published purpose

The number of satellites and debris in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) is increasing rapidly over time and few options exist to remove or mitigate their presence. Therefore, Space Situational Awareness (SSA) of objects in the vicinity of (or on course toward) a host satellite or space station is becoming more important, to improve risk management through advanced planning of active manoeuvres and to generally understand the debris population in LEO, for which there is a gap in publicly available information for objects below 10 cm cross-section. MDA will develop and characterize a compact hemispherical lens assembly coupled to an innovative and high-sensitivity detector. The performance of the hemispherical camera will push range and resolution beyond what is available elsewhere. This project is a key stepping stone for MDA to develop a future multi-sensor SSA product that allows operators to survey and react to objects in their asset's vicinity, creating Canadian capability at the forefront of technology that supports understanding and mitigation of the growing problem of LEO over-population.