Space Based Space Surveillance

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The Space Based Space Surveillance System is a constellation of satellites of the United States Air Force for the surveillance of near-earth space, primarily for the detection and tracking of other satellites and space debris in an earth orbit.

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The satellites of the SBSS system are mainly intended to improve the surveillance of near-earth space, since, in contrast to the ground-based telescopes of the GEODSS network, they can record and track objects independently of time and weather. The design is based on knowledge gained from the Midcourse Space Experiment (SBX).

The satellites are manufactured by Boeing , with MIT Lincoln Laboratory and Ball Aerospace also involved in development. The first satellite has a launch mass of 1031 kg, its solar cells generate an electrical output of 840 watts. The sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of 630 km is planned as orbit . The service life should be at least 5.5 years, with 7 years of operation being targeted.

A CCD chip with attached optics for visible light is used as the sensor . This is gimbaled so that the satellite does not have to align itself for each target, which saves fuel. The chip itself is twice as sensitive as its predecessor in the SBX and faster when it comes to capturing targets.

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