LeoLabs Space Radar
Description of the radar set, tactical-technical characteristics
Figure 1: Costa Rica Space Radar in Filadelfia,
Costa Rica (10°36'42.2" N, 85°31'43.4" W),
© 2020 LeoLabs, Inc.
Figure 1: Costa Rica Space Radar in Filadelfia, Costa Rica,
(10°36'42.2" N 85°31'43.4" W)
© 2020 LeoLabs, Inc.
Specifications | ||
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frequency: | S band | UHF-band |
pulse repetition time (PRT): | ||
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pulsewidth (τ): | ||
receiving time: | ||
dead time: | ||
peak power: | ||
average power: | ||
instrumented range: | ||
range resolution: | ||
accuracy: | ||
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hits per scan: | ||
antenna rotation: | ||
MTBCF: | ||
MTTR: |
LeoLabs Space Radar
LeoLabs Space Radar is operating in the S band (IEEE designation) or in the E/F band (NATO designation) phased-array radar which can monitor various space objects in low-Earth orbit (e.g., satellites, space debris, rocket bodies, space stations). The radar forms a very narrow antenna pattern, which is swiveled in two elevation angle planes simultaneously. A reflecting object must pass through both antenna pattern planes. The velocity and the orbit are calculated from both measured values.
The data is fed into a network. This network currently consists of 4 large radars:
radar | site | operational since | frequency |
---|---|---|---|
Costa Rica Space Radar | Costa Rica | 2021 | S band |
Kiwi Space Radar | New Zealand | 2019 | S band |
Midland Space Radar | Texas | 2017 | UHF-Band |
Poker Flat Incoherent Scatter Radar | Alaska | 2007 | UHF-Band |
The Costa Rica Space Radar is operational since April 1. 2021. It forms a total of 4 planes of antenna patterns, which are arranged crosswise. This improves the accuracy of the measurement even for overflights with unfavorable approach angles.
Source:
- Manufacturers home page
Picture gallery of the LeoLabs Space Radars
Figure 2: Kiwi Space Radar in New Zealand,
(45°02'19.9" S 170°05'44.9" E)
© 2020 LeoLabs, Inc.
Figure 3: Midland Space Radar in Texas,
(31°57'51.5" N 103°14'00.8" W)
© 2020 LeoLabs, Inc.
Figure 4: Poker Flat Incoherent Scatter Radar (PFISR) in Alaska,
(65°07'47.9" N 147°28'15.3" W)
© 2020 National Science Foundation