The US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has developed a surveillance telescope in hopes that it could help protect satellites from collisions with space debris. The Space Surveillance Telescope (SST) could start collecting data in six months if it passes evaluation.
The telescope will not only be used to protect US satellites but also international satellites that orbit the earth. Currently researches are tracking around 22,000 objects that are in the Earth’s orbit, with items ranging from huge satellites to small pieces of debris.
The reason this type of tacking is so important is that even debris that’s as small as a centimeter can cause considerable damage to weather, communication, and missile warning systems.
The telescope can scan the sky multiple times every night making it far faster than any other telescope of its size. The telescope took nine years to build and cost an estimated $110 million.
The telescope will not only be used to protect US satellites but also international satellites that orbit the earth. Currently researches are tracking around 22,000 objects that are in the Earth’s orbit, with items ranging from huge satellites to small pieces of debris.
The reason this type of tacking is so important is that even debris that’s as small as a centimeter can cause considerable damage to weather, communication, and missile warning systems.
The telescope can scan the sky multiple times every night making it far faster than any other telescope of its size. The telescope took nine years to build and cost an estimated $110 million.