LIBRIS: An orbital imaging lidar for the detection of small to medium-sized debris in low-Earth orbit

LIBRIS aims at detecting and locating orbital debris in the 0.1 mm - 1 cm size range, retrieving such parameters as distance at the time of detection, trajectory parameters (incidence and velocity) and estimated size. It makes use of backscattered lidar radiation and will provide long-term information to improve cataloging of debris in law-Earth orbit (LEO) and thus refine existing evolutionary debris models. Knowledge about interplanetary dust particles (IDPs) will be gained by discriminating between natural (micro-meteoroids) and man-made debris in LEO by means of the retrieved orbital parameters. (C) 1999 COSPAR. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd.