Space Object Identification by In Situ Measurements of Orbit-Driven Waves (SOIMOW)

SOIMOW measures in situ electromagnetic plasma waves excited by satellites and space debris moving through the earth’s plasma in low earth orbit. Space debris detection is traditionally accomplished with satellite sensors employing optics and ranging radars. SOIMOW uses in situ conjunctions to measures low frequency plasma modes with electric and magnetic field receivers on host satellites. Satellites moving through the near-earth ionosphere between 200 and 1000 km altitude become electrically charged by both electron collection and photo emission in sunlight. These hypersonic charged objects pass through the ionosphere setting up electric currents and electric potentials that can produce a wide range of plasma waves. The SOIMOW technique may measure electromagnetic plasma waves launched by satellite motion out to ranges of tens of kilometers. The SOIMOW concept has been successfully demonstrated using the Radio Receiver Instrument (RRI) on the SWARM-E satellite with detection of micro-satellites and space debris in low earth orbit (LEO). Besides space object detection, the observations show how space-plasma waves affect the thermosphere and ionosphere.