OBSERVATIONS OF SPACE DEBRIS IN THE VICINITY OF ORBITS OF GLOBAL NAVIGATION SATELLITE SYSTEMS

The problem of the amount and characteristics of space debris in the vicinity of orbits of Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) is of significant interest from the viewpoint of safe operation of these systems. Attempts have repeatedly been made to search for space debris fragments in a given region of orbits, but have not led to cataloging such objects. Only in 2018, eight space objects were discovered which were not related to active or inactive spacecraft or their launch elements. Photometrical and trajectory observations with optical telescopes are practically the only source of information about characteristics of such objects. The paper presents a summary of the design features and technical characteristics of the new AZT-33VM telescope. We describe a technique for determining orbital parameters of non-cataloged space debris from optical measurements. We report the results of photometric observations of a space object, detected in the vicinity of orbits of the Global Navigation Satellite System GLONAS.