LEO Mobility Vehicle for space situational awareness

Jerome Pearson*, Eugene M. Levin, John C. Oldson

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contributionpeer-review

Abstract

The Air Force and DOD are addressing the problem of space situational awareness by a combination of ground-based optical and radar sensors, plus short-range inspectors launched with spacecraft. There is still a major need for long-range space patrol vehicles to provide space superiority. The LEO Mobility Vehicle (LMV) meets this need. It is like a UAV in space, free to roam Earth orbits as a versatile surveillance system with complete low-Earth-orbit (LEO) to geostationary transfer orbit (GTO) coverage on demand, to observe, inspect, and trail objects. The LEO Mobility Vehicle has very high delta-V for large orbit changes, and thus provides a new and unprecedented capability for space situational awareness, space-based space observation, and close-up inspection and surveillance of all objects in space, from LEO to GTO. One dedicated secondary payload ring on a Delta 4 or Atlas 5 could launch 18 LEO Mobility Vehicles, creating an operationally responsive space fleet completely covering LEO like the GPS satellites cover the Earth.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationSpace 2008 Conference
StatePublished - 2008
Externally publishedYes
EventSpace 2008 Conference - San Diego, CA, United States
Duration: 9 Sep 200811 Sep 2008

Publication series

NameSpace 2008 Conference

Conference

ConferenceSpace 2008 Conference
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CitySan Diego, CA
Period9/09/0811/09/08

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