Ricerc@Sapienza

Nowadays, the space debris issue is on top of the list of all space agency in the world. Even more so with the advent of the new space economy which will increase even more the number of objects around the Earth and consequently impact risk between operative satellite and space debris. S5Lab has developed several tools in order to identify, classify and monitor object in orbit. Measurements acquisition occurs by means of a network of telescope around the Earth surface.

In recent years, the increase in space activities has brought the space debris issue to the top of the list of all space agencies. The fact of there being uncontrolled objects is a problem both for the operational satellites in orbit (avoiding collisions) and for the safety of people on the ground (re-entry objects). Optical systems provide valuable assistance in identifying and monitoring such objects. The Sapienza Space System and Space Surveillance (S5Lab) has been working in this field for years, being able to take advantage of a network of telescopes spread over different continents.

The constant increase of the amount of space debris is becoming a threat for both ground and space infrastructures. The non-negligible risks of collisions in orbit, involving possible damages for active space systems, and concerns over re-entry of large objects are leading to an increasing international interest in Space Surveillance and Tracking.