1. ISON Network Tracking of Space Debris: current status and achievements
Molotov Igor
Keldysh Institute of Applied Mathematics
Russian Academy of Sciences

2. International Scientific Optical Network (ISON)
ISON is an open international voluntary project on self-financing basis directed on monitoring of the near Earth space to obtain the data for scientific and applied purposes
ISON cooperates with 38 observation facilities of various affiliation with 97 telescopes in 16 countries.
Main scientific topics: space debris, asteroids, Gamma-Ray Bursts afterglow (Alex Pozanenko, SRI)
Keldysh Institute of Applied Mathematics (KIAM), RAS supervises the ISON project in the whole, coordinates the investigations of the space debris, maintain database of space objects and provides conjunction analysis for Russian satellites at high orbits
ISON activities are based on scientific agreements between KIAM and participating institutions, also KIAM has dedicated Laboratory to provides the salary for ISON observatory observers

3. International Scientific Optical Network (ISON)
ISON project started in 2004 and was on from pioneers in sky surveying in Russia
We were forced to elaborate:
small telescopes with large field o view
own set of software for telescope control and CCD image processing
time reference system
We use FLI CCD camera with chips with 9, 12 and 24 microns pixels
Status of tens former Soviet Union observatories was checked and their staff was retrained in annual workshops and training courses
Many amateur astronomers were involved in the ISON project
Possible Russian consumers on space debris data were fixed

4. Telescope building –more 70 telescopes
We ordered and participated into elaboration of few series of telescopes, mounts, domes, pavilions, focusers etc…:
Genon (objectives 12.5 cm, 19.2 cm, 30 cm, Hamilton 22 cm, 25 cm, 40 cm, 50 cm), SanTel (Hamilton 25 cm, 40 cm, 65 cm), ChV (Newton 40 cm, 50 cm, mounts and domes), DISON (Hamilton 20 cm, Newton 25 cm, 40 cm, mounts, pavilions, focusers)

5. Accumulated experience
Lot of new observation points is arranged to cover Geostationary orbit in the whole. Information on promising places for the installation of new telescopes is collected
Strategy of complete surveys of Geostationary region in strip width of 18 degree with detection of all objects accessible by brightness was elaborated as well as the method of extended GEO surveys for massive improving of orbits precision (thank to extra long measuring arcs)
It was understood that each observation points must have a lot of telescopes with various characteristics for monitoring of different class objects
Necessity of elaboration of series dedicated space debris observatories for Roscosmos based on the ISON experience is justified

6. Comparison of plans for standard and extended GEO surveys

7. 6 observatories have been produced for Roscosmos
21 telescopes: 3 of 65 cm, 1 of 50 cm, 6 of 40 cm, 5 of 25 cm, 6 of 19.2 cm (in pairs and fours)
Telescope
Aperture
Quantity
Limited magnitude
FOV, deg 1
VT-78e
19.2 cm 16
14.5
7x4.5 2
ORI-25
25 cm 4
15.5
3.3x3.3 3
ORI-40
40 cm
17.5
2.3x2.3
ChV-500
50 cm 17
1x1 5
SANTEL-650A
65 cm
18.5
2.2x2.2

8. EOP-1 observatory in Kislovodsk, N. Caucasus

9. EOP-2 observatories in Kislovodsk and Blagoveschensk

10. ISON consists of 6 telescope subsets:
global GEO survey from 15 telescopes of 22 – 25 cm with FOV degree (down to 15.5m)
extended GEO survey from 10 telescopes of 18 – 19.2 cm with FOV of 7 – 8 degree (down to 14m)
deep local GEO survey from 7 telescopes of 50 – 75 cm with FOV of 2 – 2.2 degree (down to 17m)
tracking the faint (fainter than 15.5m) space debris at GEO and GTO from 15 telescopes of 40 – 80 cm
tracking the bright GEO and GTO objects from 15 telescopes of 25 cm
tracking the bright LEO and HEO objects from 8 telescopes of 12.5 – 25 cm
- one 18 cm telescope with FOV 7 degree provides survey of the Molnya-type orbits

12. Map of observatories that send the data to KIAM

13. KIAM space debris database: 5545 objects (2277 GEO, 2926 HEO and 342 MEO), including 864 with high area to mass ratio (498 GEO and 366 HEO&MEO)

14. 864 objects with high area to mass ratio (498 GEO and 366 HEO&MEO)

15. 10 years of orbital plane evolution for object 95177

16. GEO coverage by ISON in July 2015-March 2016

17. Annual new objects discovery statistic
Yellow color – discovered objects, blue color - rediscovered

18. Creation of model of space debris population
New representation of GEO objects for elaboration of model of space debris population.
It is displayed known GEO objects ('+') from KIAM database and plotted point of thickening ('o') in parameters - the normal to the plane of the orbit . Color of thickening is the same as color of forming objects, size is proportional of quantity of objects

19. ISON network is splitting on 3 segments with own center of planning that may be fully independent in near future
51 telescopes of KIAM international cooperation for scientific researches
24 telescopes - 21 pcs. of Roscosmos (6 observatories EOP-1, EOP-2, 1 OEK OKP + 3 pcs.) + 3 attracted pcs. to support the conjunction analysis
22 telescopes of cooperation of Vimpel Corp. in interests of space situation analysis

20. Current events
KIAM maintains ISON network with finances from contracts with Roscosmos (Safety of Space Operations) and Vimpel Corporation (Space Situation Analysis), but now Roscomos plan to support own segment of dedicated observatories only and Vimpel plan to support own industry organizations segments
KIAM cooperation is searching new ways of financing:
Attempt to be official project of new Russian Scientific Agency
- To form new ISON segment for observations under
commercial contracts with supervising of new
company KIAM Ballistic-Service and to search new Russian
and foreign customers: Reshetnev ISS company (tracking of the
GEO launches), Lavochkin association (observations of
Radioastron mission and the MEO launches), GMV Spanish
company (10 runs of observations for different European users,
last experiments – support of METEOSAT-7 end-of-life
operations – with participating of 17 ISON telescopes)

21. Support of METEOSAT-7 end-of-life operations: two maneuvers per day

22. First ISON observations of close approach in Western Hemisphere: Star One C1 + Les 6
May 31 – June 8, 2016 with participation of 3 telescopes in two university observatories – Tarija (Bolivia) and Cosala (Mexico)

23. ISON commercial subsystem of 27 telescopes

24. Prototype of barrier optical telescope for detection of LEO and HEO (in perigee) 20 cm x 6 with common FOV 42 x 4.5 degr., photometry 6 Hz

25. Promising barrier telescope in elaboration
10 elements of 40 cm with FOV of 6x75 degree with limiting magnitude down to 16.5 for LEO, MEO, HEO and GEO objects

26. System of panoramic survey
with FOV of 1058 sq.degree
8-elements cluster telescope with common FOV 23х46 degree on base of 18 cm optical tube with FOV 11.5х11.5 degree on 36 mm CCD-chip
Specialized for detection of LEO and HEO as by-product of astronomical observations

27. ISON is interesting to enlarge collaboration
Joint observation campaigns to exchange the obtained measurements (Zimmerwald observatory)
Installation of 18-cm – 40-cm aperture telescopes for our partner in places with good weather to share the obtained data (observatories in Italy, Mexico and soonest in China, may be in Argentina)
Installation of telescopes of our partners in ISON observatories to share the obtained data (Zimmerwald observatory)
Participation in modernization of old telescope (Tarija observatory in Bolivia, Terskol observatory), providing of ISON software set for space debris observations (Barcelona observatory)
Production of 40-cm – 65-cm telescopes and optical systems for panoramic survey under scientific grants for future joint observations (Khuraltogot observatory in Mongolia, Roscomos)
Service on provision of measurements (from survey and tracking observations) and orbital data (GMV Innovating Solution)
Service on conjunction analysis (Reshetnev ISS company)

28. Conclusions
ISON project is good example of fruitful international scientific collaboration in field of near-Earth orbits monitoring
ISON network provides global coverage and tracks 5545 objects (2277 GEO, 2926 HEO and 342 MEO) that on 1700 objects more than in TLE
80 telescopes of 34 observation facilities produced 19 million measurements on space debris and discovered 550 new objects in 2016
ISON is splitting on 3 segments now (KIAM, Roscosmos and Vimpel) and KIAM scientific cooperation needs to search finance
New “commercial” segment of 27 telescopes is forming, 10 observation runs are carried out with GMV Innovating Solution
New barrier optical telescope 20 cm x 6 with FOV 42x4.5 degree is elaborated to provide information for LEO and HEO objects
Any institutions are welcome to participate in the ISON project that is interesting to enlarge cooperation in many different aspects

29. Web site of the ISON project: www.astronomer.ru
Forum:
Igor Molotov: