The Canadian Forces/NORAD satellite identification sensor at St. Margarets

A new operational surveillance sensor has been established by NORAD/ADCOM for an electro-optical identification of orbiting spacecraft. The Space Object Identification (SOI) System utilizes the original R and D sensor, reengineered by AFAL to simplify and automate many of its functions. It has been located in the Maritime Provinces in Eastern Canada, operated by the Canadian Forces Air Command. The automation of the test-bed sensor included a novel hybrid control computer, a microprocessor for data logging and recording, timing control of all operational functions (including computer cycling) by an atomic standard and use of celestial reference sources for self-calibration of both the pointing command system and the target signature system. Using existing hardware with special interfaces and software has reduced significantly the cost and acquisition time of this first on-line system. The Canadian optical SOI sensor is described as placed into operation at the Satellite Identification and tracking unit (SITU) at St. Margarets, New Brunswick.