Detection of Debris from a Dynamic Satellite Platform
June 1, 2023
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1 min read
B. Outland, R. Loveland
Developed a novel debris detection algorithm for space-based optical sensors. Classical background-subtraction methods systematically remove faint, slow-moving objects — exactly the objects of interest in space domain awareness.
This approach uses an optical flow background removal scheme specifically designed to retain faint objects, followed by object detection classification. The method was validated on simulated imagery from a dynamic (tumbling/maneuvering) satellite observer.
Authors
Graduate Researcher
Doctoral student at the University of Colorado Boulder, Smead Department of Aerospace Engineering Sciences. Research in differential game theory, safe multi-agent systems, and computational astrodynamics — with a focus on algorithms that are tractable enough to run onboard while providing formal guarantees.