Telescopes in the Surveillance of Space

This presentation is open to all ASSA members and the general public.

Title: Telescopes in the Surveillance of Space

Speaker: Flt Lt Rayan "Ghazza" Gharazeddine, Space Operations Officer, Royal Australian Air Force

Abstract: Over the last 60 years, the US military has led the efforts in detecting, cataloguing and maintaining the outmost surveillance of man-made objects in space. At present, the number of resident objects in space is 40,000 and continues to grow rapidly.

Maintaining that level of situational awareness is not an easy endeavour. Thousands of people and equipment scattered around the world work around clock to achieve this task. In this presentation, Ryan will explain how the Space Surveillance Network works, what type of sensors it uses and what role the telescope plays. Finally, Ryan will touch on what Australia is bringing to the table with our most recent acquisition and the level it will support the global effort.

Bio: Rayan was born in the 1980s and was inspired as a kid by Carl Sagan. He completed Bachelors degree in 2005, joined the RAAF in 2010 as a Navigator on P-3 Orions, and has worked for ADF Space Operations for more than 4 years. Rayan's main specialisation is Space Domain Awareness and Navigation Warfare. His hobbies include building robots, telescopes and rockets.

COVID Safety: Check the ASSA website (assa.org.au/covid) for the latest safety requirements for meetings and other events.

Notes:

• Tickets are only required to attend in-person.
• The presentation will be streamed live and can be watched on YouTube at https://youtube.com/astronomysa. A ticket is not required to watch online.
• Event URL and in-person location can be found on the EventBrite registration confirmation email.
• For more event information, visit: https://www.assa.org.au/events/meetings/general-meeting-july-2022/