Estimation of the GEO Belt Debris Population by Two Independent Remote Sensing Techniques

Models that characterize the number of GEO belt debris objects using a distribution function to describe debris with data and rigorous analytical methods, quantified as a function of size, have been developed using measurements taken in both the infrared and visible wavebands. The specific datasets used, all GEO belt debris data, were gathered from the 2009 to 2011 NASA-WISE infrared observational campaigns and 2013-2014 MODEST visible waveband campaigns. Our paper reconciles the two independent remote sensing techniques, resulting in a comprehensive description of the total number of GEO belt debris. Although a few thousand objects are cataloged at GEO, surprisingly the total number of GEO belt debris is an unknown physical quantity. The two independent estimation methods discussed in this paper result in a characteristic description of the GEO belt debris population that agrees to within 30%, by which the total number of GEO belt debris may be estimated. Additionally, the uncertainties in the two methods are discussed along with the outlook for future, more accurate measurements. (C) 2019 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE).