24/7 Space News
TECH SPACE
Georgia State professor granted $5 million to identify and characterize objects in space
All together now.
Reuters Events SMR and Advanced Reactor 2025
Georgia State professor granted $5 million to identify and characterize objects in space
by Staff Writers
Atlanta GA (SPX) Dec 05, 2023

Georgia State Professor of Physics and Astronomy Stuart Jefferies has been awarded a $5 million, multi-institutional grant by the U.S. Air Force to develop techniques to detect, map and image faint objects in space.

The work could have far-reaching impacts, including strengthening national security in an increasingly congested space domain. The work will also advance the next generation of exceptionally large telescopes and improve the capabilities of astronomers studying the universe by providing images that are significantly sharper than those from existing telescopes.

"Detecting objects in the space region between where many communications satellites are located extending to the distance at which the Moon orbits the Earth presents a substantial challenge," Jefferies said. "The faintness of these objects makes observation difficult using ground-based telescopes, as they are starved of photons from the target of interest, creating a potential vulnerability that adversaries could exploit."

Jefferies will lead the research under the grant "Space Domain Awareness in a Photon Starved Environment" with experts from academic institutions including the University of Hawai'i, University of Minnesota and the Georgia Tech Research Institute.

The Georgia State team will also collaborate with government contractors and Air Force researchers at the Air Force Maui Optical and Supercomputing (AMOS) Site on Maui and at Kirtland Air Force Base in New Mexico.

"The Air Force recognizes the significance of fostering collaboration among researchers from these diverse domains, each offering unique perspectives," Jefferies said. "This multidisciplinary approach aims to push the boundaries of telescope technology and advance our understanding of celestial bodies."

Space Domain Awareness (SDA) is the comprehensive examination and surveillance of objects within the realm of space, specifically focusing on satellites orbiting Earth. It includes detection, tracking, cataloging and identifying artificial entities such as active or inactive satellites, spent rocket stages and fragments from previous missions. SDA plays a crucial role in decision-making across tactical, operational and strategic levels to meet national security objectives.

Jefferies said researchers at the University of Hawai'i are pioneering the development of innovative optics to create financially viable, extremely large-aperture telescopes. This telescope design combines elements of traditional telescopes and interferometers, like Georgia State's CHARA Array, to create a Hybrid Optical Telescope (HOT). Collaborating with Georgia State researchers, the UH team will work to address the inherent blurring of images caused by Earth's turbulent atmosphere to achieve the full resolution potential of the telescope.

The University of Minnesota team is investigating ways to use the HOT system to not only identify and describe dim celestial objects but also to laser-light illuminate them in order to improve visibility.

Scientists at the Georgia Tech Research Institute will examine satellite material composition using spectral analysis. Their aim is to understand the effects of weathering caused by radiation on the properties of these materials.

Some of the work that falls under this award will likely tap into the expertise gained from the Imaging Innovation Hub (IIH) which was developed in part with support from a Georgia State Research Innovation and Scholarly Excellence (RISE) grant.

Georgia State's RISE initiative was established in 2022 to address complex societal problems through interdisciplinary collaboration. The initiative aims to foster an innovative research ecosystem at the university and leverage the strengths of the research community to address complex problems.

Over the past two decades, Jefferies' research has focused on achieving clear images of objects in space through ground-based telescopes, including images of the Sun. His work to capture high-resolution images of the Sun has taken him to the far reaches of the South Pole.

According to Jefferies, this research over the next five years will be crucial in developing the next generation of exceptionally large telescopes and the related techniques needed to fully utilize them.

"While the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is currently transforming our perspectives of the cosmos, envisioning telescopes surpassing JWST in size by more than fivefold and impervious to atmospheric blurring marks a significant leap forward in our quest to deepen our understanding of the universe," he said.

For more information on Jefferies' work, visit his website.

Related Links
Georgia State University
Space Technology News - Applications and Research

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters
Tweet

RELATED CONTENT
The following news reports may link to other Space Media Network websites.
TECH SPACE
Air Force awards UTEP Grant to safeguard assets in space
El Paso TX (SPX) Dec 01, 2023
Space near earth is teeming with objects, whether natural, like meteors and comets, or manmade, like satellites, spacecraft and rocket debris. But experts still need a clearer picture of the location and state of these objects, which can threaten space-based assets, such as GPS, weather-monitoring and communication satellites. "The United States is dependent economically and militarily on space assets," said Miguel Velez-Reyes, Ph.D., chair of the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at ... read more

TECH SPACE
Chandrayaan-3 Propulsion Module Successfully Transitions from Lunar to Earth Orbit

Axiom Space Chooses AWS to Power IT Infrastructure for Commercial Space Station

Sierra Space's Shooting Star Module Begins Rigorous Testing at NASA Facility

Russian Progress 86 spacecraft lifts off with supplies for ISS

TECH SPACE
LandSpace's methane-propelled rocket marks another milestone

China's sea-based rocketry expands with Smart Dragon 3's success

Iran hails capsule launch as step towards human spaceflight

Sidus Space and Bechtel join forces for Artemis Mobile Launcher 2

TECH SPACE
On The Road Again: Sols 4030-4031

MAHLI Marathon: Sols 4025-4027

Farewell, Solar Conjunction 2023: Sols 4023-4024

Was There Life on Mars

TECH SPACE
CAS Space expands into Guangdong with new rocket engine testing complex

China's Lunar Samples on Display in Macao to Inspire Future Explorers

China Manned Space Agency Delegation Highlights SARs' Role in Space Program

Wenchang Set to Become China's Premier Commercial Space Launch Hub by Next Year

TECH SPACE
Iridium's New GMDSS Academy to Bolster Safety Training for Maritime Professionals

Embry-Riddle's Innovative Mission Control Lab prepares students for booming space sector

Ovzon and SSC close to sealing satellite communication contract worth $10M

A major boost for space skills and research in North East England

TECH SPACE
CityU develops universal metasurface antenna, advancing 6G communications

Momentus Partners with CalgaryToSpace for 2025 Satellite Launch

US, UK, Australia Collaborate on Deep Space Radar Initiative for Enhanced Space Domain Awareness

LeoLabs Partners with Aalyria to enhance global communication network security

TECH SPACE
Ice's crucial role in planet and comet formation mapped by Webb

Can signs of life be detected from Saturn's frigid moon

Discovery of planet too big for its sun throws off solar system formation models

Minimalist or maximalist? The life of a microbe a mile underground

TECH SPACE
Unwrapping Uranus and its icy moon secrets

Juice burns hard towards first-ever Earth-Moon flyby

Fall into an ice giant's atmosphere

Juno finds Jupiter's winds penetrate in cylindrical layers

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.