Rapid Discovery of Cislunar Objects (Rapid DisCO)

The goal of this project is to advance current detection and tracking capabilities to address space situational awareness (SSA) challenges in the cislunar domain, identified as a key national priority in the National Cislunar Science & Technology Strategy released by the White House in 2022.

Cislunar SSA presents unique technical challenges, including:

1. Reduced target signal due to the large distance between sensors and targets
2. Increased optical background noise from lunar proximity
3. High orbit uncertainty driven by complex three-body dynamics

To overcome these issues, we have developed a novel dynamic-programming track-before-detect algorithm capable of identifying extremely faint objects with minimal prior knowledge, while achieving substantial runtime improvements. The method, known as the Fast X-ray Transform (FaXT), has been successfully demonstrated in large-scale asteroid searches—detecting objects up to ten times fainter than previously possible.

In this effort, we aim to adapt the FaXT methodology for detecting and tracking faint objects in cislunar space. As a proof of concept, we will demonstrate this new capability using CAPSTONE, a CubeSat currently in lunar orbit, as a test target. The outcomes of this work have broad implications for detecting and tracking space objects under challenging conditions, including small, highly maneuverable platforms and distant objects in cislunar space.

Supported by AFRL Regional Network Mid-Atlantic Hub