Deployable Long Range Passive Radar for Space Surveillance

A deployable long-range passive radar system has been used to observe satellites in low Earth orbit utilising distant transmitters in real time. This paper details the experimental radar's design, including its array, configuration and software. Methods to improve satellite detections and initial orbit determination are also described. The radar is capable of detecting objects the size of small rocket bodies, in real time, utilising a transmitter 300 km away. Additionally, during post-processing, satellites were detected when utilising a separately collected reference, from a transmitter 1,600 km away. Such a system enables passive long-range detection at considerable standoff ranges from transmitters of opportunity.