METHOD OF AVERTING THREAT TO PLANET BY ESTIMATING DIMENSIONS OF PASSIVE SPACE OBJECTS Russian patent published in 2014 - IPC B64G3/00 G01S13/02 

FIELD: radio engineering, communication.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to radar location of passive space objects, e.g. large meteorites and asteroids (measuring more than a hundred metres) which may pose a danger upon collision with the Earth. The method includes radar probing a space object which is rotating during flight with a periodic sequence of high-resolution radio signals with a nanosecond duration. The number of said pulses matches the number of views of the space object in one period of rotation thereof, which is the longest among all periods of rotation of the space object about its axis. This period is determined from the repetition of radar portraits which yield range resolution equal to one tenth of the minimum dimension of the space object. Multiple measurements of the duration of the radar portrait of the illuminated part of the space object are taken. Said duration is then used to estimate the mean radius of the space object at half the averaged spatial length of the signal of the radar portrait and the linear dimension at double the value of the mean radius.

EFFECT: providing sufficient accuracy of estimating dimensions of passive space objects so as to activate orbital space protection means if necessary.

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