Survey-only optical strategies for cataloguing space debris objects in the future European space surveillance system Original Research Article

In the framework of a potential European Space Situational Awareness System (ESSAS), we propose some optical strategies such that try to minimize the requirement of tracking measurements for the orbit determination computation when the catalogue is under construction. We will analyse them in terms of coverage, timeliness and orbit determination accuracy by means of the AS4 simulator (developed by Deimos Space S.L.U.). Moreover, observation campaigns have been performed from La Sagra Observatory in order to check the applicability of those strategies. These strategies are used for defining different choices for the future European Optical Space Surveillance System in the framework of the ESA contract no. 22738/09/D/HK.