Medicina Northern Cross Upgrade High Level Architecture: Medicina Radar System Architecture Technical Note

Abstract

The objective of this deliverable (Medicina Northern Cross Upgrade High Level Architecture - ESA Contract No. 4000107622/12/D/MRP with INAF-IRA) is to describe the mechanical and electronic upgrades necessary to the Medicina Northern Cross radio telescope to permit its utilization as receiving part of a radar system for the survey and detection of space debris in Low Earth Orbit (LEO). This deliverable commences with a description of the Northern Cross radio telescope, its current status and principle of operation. It then presents three possible upgrade architectures and analyse the corresponding performance of the system in terms of sky survey efficiency. Finally, the design of two possible systems suitable to be utilised as transmitting component of the radar are presented together with the analysis and trade off of different configurations for the surveillance radar, considering both the close mono-static and bi-static solutions. The proposal of an initial set of upgrades to the Northern Cross antenna and the transmitting system, for a possible short-term observing activity concludes the document.