The most advanced radar technology for increased space safety clearly explained in a model
Several thousand satellites orbit in near-Earth space. However, there are also tens of thousands of pieces of space debris in this area, amounting to a total of more than 10,000 tonnes of material. A collision with in-service infrastructure in space is therefore very likely. To avoid collisions as far as possible, reliable data on the space situation is continuously required, which can be provided by radar systems such as GESTRA (German Experimental Space Surveillance and Tracking Radar).
GESTRA will provide the joint departmental Space Situational Awareness Centre with one of the world’s most modern radar systems for space observation in 2024. The complex radar system comprises a transmitting and a receiving antenna, each equipped with 256 individual elements when fully loaded and with phase-controlled radar waves. Each element of the transmitting antenna is controlled by an extremely powerful amplifier, so that the approximately four-metre-wide transmitting antenna has an immense overall performance. The elements of the receiving antenna are individually read out digitally and can be combined in real time using special processor units. As a result, the two antennas can change their field of view within a few milliseconds. This makes GESTRA not only very dynamic but also extremely sensitive when monitoring space debris. The transmitter and receiver are housed in two separate containers, which allows flexible use at different locations. This combination of mobility, digital technology and performance makes GESTRA unique. The system is installed on the Schmidtenhöhe near Koblenz.
GESTRA was developed by the Fraunhofer Institute for High Frequency Physics and Radar Techniques (FHR) in Wachtberg. It was financed by the German Space Agency at DLR with funds from the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK). In future, the radar system will be operated by the joint departmental Space Situational Awareness Centre in Uedem, which is financed by the BMWK and the Federal Ministry of Defence (BMVg).
Link:
German Aerospace Center (DLR)
German Space Agency at DLR
E-Mail contact-dlr@DLR.de
