Star Background Cancellation for Deep Space Surveillance

In deep space surveillance missions using high-sensitivity infrared sensor systems, satellite targets must be detected among a background scene of thousands of stars. Data stream processing must provide early rejection in the processing stages of the star scene to permit target detection and to meet the downlink data transmission capacity constraint. Two star-elimination techniques are formulated ¿ a multicolor elimination concept, and a moving target indicator (MTI) technique ¿ and their performance analyzed. Multicolor elimination methods reduce the star scene to a star leakage rate of about 39 stars/deg2; the MTI technique reduces the star scene to a dramatically low star leakage rate ¿ to <0.05 stars/deg2.