Space Debris Tracking Coverage Analysis of Spinning Disk for Optical Path Switch of Geochang Laser Tracking System

KASI (Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute) has been developing the multipurpose laser tracking system with three functions of satellite laser tracking, adaptive optics and space debris laser tracking for scientific research and national space missions. The space debris laser tracking system provides the distance to space debris without a laser retro-reflector array by using a high power pulse laser, which employs a spinning disk to change the optical path between the transmit and receive beams. The spinning disk causes the collision band which is unable to reflect the returned signal to a detector and then has an effect on the tracking coverage of space debris. This study proposed the mathematical model for tracking coverage by taking into account the various specifications of spinning disk such as disk size, spinning velocity and collision rate between the disk and hole. In addition, the spinning disk specifications were analyzed in terms of tracking coverage and collision band based on the mathematical model to investigate tracking requirements of the Geochang laser tracking system.