Satellites & Space

Why space sensing matters

Space holds vast promise. Orbiting satellites have already enabled global communications and allowed us to learn about our planet’s climate. This is just the beginning. Companies that exist today are dreaming of mining asteroids, putting giant solar farms in space, setting up satellite manufacturing facilities in orbit, and building settlements on the Moon.

But with development comes responsibility. Space has long been like the Wild West. To function as a mature economy, it will require enforceable regulations, including the monitoring and control of orbital zones and the establishment of precise orbital corridors. The growing levels of space debris – from dead satellites to peeled-off paint flecks that hurtle through space faster than bullets – also represents a real concern for this burgeoning industry.

As spacecraft evolve, sensing designs will need to be both functional and fit for purpose. They will need to be robust, lightweight, capable of working in extreme conditions, able to survive launches, and be affordable and scalable to support today’s space innovators as they plot their course into business’ final frontier.

Both the opportunities and threats will require greater sensing capabilities for the space industry. Spacecraft and satellites will need to locate targets and dock precisely, whilst threats and obstacles – no matter how small – will need to be detected and avoided accurately and routinely.

In our technical paper, we explore the role of radar to deliver this sensing capability. We believe, as we will argue, that whilst LiDAR is often the go-to today, radar technology is becoming essential to include in space-based sensing systems. We explain radar, how it works, and why it is suited to space. We also discuss considerations for space companies when deploying any sensing technology. Download “Sensing in space”