Space Situational Awareness (SSA) آگاهی از سیتش ِ فضایی âgâhi az siteš-e fazâyi Fr.: surveillance de l'environnement spatial A program aimed at monitoring the near-Earth environment for recognizing and
preventing space hazards by means of radar and optical observations from
either space or the ground. The objective of the
→ European Space Agency initiative is to
support the European independent utilization of, and access to, space
for research or services, through the provision of timely and quality
data, information, services and knowledge regarding the space
environment, the threats and the sustainable exploitation of the outer
space surrounding our planet Earth. The SSA Program was authorized at the November 2008 Ministerial Council
and formally launched on 1 January 2009. The mandate was extended at the
2012 and 2016 Ministerial Councils, and the program is funded through
to 2020. The program comprises three segments: Space Surveillance and Tracking (SST), which is
the monitoring and tracking of every object orbiting the Earth, such
as satellites, space stations and debris. The objective is the
prediction and warning of collisions and re-entry events. → Space Weather (SWE), which aims at detection
and forecasting of space weather and its effects through
monitoring of the Sun, solar wind, magnetosphere, radiation
belts, ionosphere and disturbances in the geomagnetic field. → Near-Earth Objects (NEOs), which provides
warning services against potential asteroid impact risks, including
discovery, identification, orbit prediction and civil alert capabilities.
See also: → space; → situation;
→ -al; → awareness. |
