Nanosats (and CubeSats, "Smallsats", etc.) are of order 10 cm in size, and are at or near the limits of what can be tracked and characterized, using existing space surveillance assets and techniques. Additionally, CubeSats are often launched in large numbers (scores), and can be problemmatic to distinguish from afar. These factors make them difficult to track and to identify. This is sometimes referred to as "CubeSat Confusion".

In his talk, that will take place on the 3rd of April at 12:00 AM in room LM4 (Campus Bovisa), Dr.Mark A. Skinner from Aerospace Corporation will identify a number of technologies that future nanosat missions could employ that would enhance the trackability and/or identification of their satellites when on-orbit. Some of these technologies require active illumination of the satellite with electromagnetic energy, either in the radio frequency or optical frequency regions, and some are passive in nature. He has also enumerated a number of techniques that observers might employ to facilitate tracking and/or identification of small space objects that do not carry any special tracking or identification technology.

Short bio:
Dr. Mark Skinner is internationally recognized as a researcher in space object characterization and commercial space situational awareness. He is currently leading The Aerospace Corporation’s effort to support the transition of space traffic management (STM) from the Defense realm to the Civil. For almost two decades he supported research efforts at the AMOS facility on Maui, Hawaii, and now supports STM in Washington, DC. For eight years, he supported the US delegation to the UN COPUOS Working Group on the Long Term Sustainable use of outer space in the development of guidelines and best practices, as an expert on space debris and SSA. Skinner holds a BS degree in Physics and a BS in the Humanities and Science from MIT; a PhD in experimental astrophysics from UW-Madison; and an MBA from ISU.

3.4.2023