Researchers at Los Alamos National Laboratory developed an innovative optical identifier, ELROI, to improve satellite tracking amidst increasing orbital congestion. ELROI emits a unique blinking identifier visible from 1,000 km using low power, allowing for affordability and ease of attachment to satellites. Tested successfully in 2024, it enabled the identification of satellites even before operators recognized them, showcasing its potential in collision prevention and satellite management in crowded space environments.
"ELROI is cheap, tiny, self-sufficient, and easy to attach to anything that goes into space," said Los Alamos scientist and ELROI project lead David Palmer.
"For the second launch there were eight objects in space, but nobody knew which was which. I looked at all eight as they passed over our telescope, and within 48 hours, I had the data that identified the ELROI-carrying satellite," he said.
#satellite-tracking #space-technology #collision-prevention #optical-identifier #los-alamos-national-laboratory
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