This project will develop a new method for detecting dark bodies in space, against a background of the earth's airglow and aurora. A dark body is cold, i.E. It does not emit much infrared (ir) radiation. Hence, one cannot use ir sensors to detect dark bodies. This technology can detect a body in space without first needing to detect its plume. The project will calculate the signal-to-noise ratio for various target/sensor locations, target configurations, reflectivity of targets, and background/foreground airglow intensities. The signal-to-noise ratio is a measurement of how good a detector is. A good detector is one that can pick out a signal in a very noisy environment. This technique has primarily military applications, but it can also serve as a passive uv sensor to detect and track objects in space. A passive sensor means it receives only; it does not transmit. For example, radar is an active sensor; it both transmits and receives, whereas uv and ir sensors only receive.
