Kathryn Barrett

PhD student

What do you do?

I am a PhD Student in the Centre for Advanced Instrumentation (CfAI), Department of Physics.

How are you involved in this area of science? 

I worked on a project with UK Space Command, UK Space Agency and DSTL to invent a new space monitoring sensor that is capable of detecting objects in geostationary orbits, tracking their movement and characterising satellites. I was involved in all stages of this project, developing the hardware as well as the software to automatically extract satellite data from a series of images.

What do you love about this topic?

This is an exciting area to be involved in due to the rapidly changing space environment, with a huge and growing need for this tracking data as more objects are launched into orbit. I was amazed by the quality and quantity of data that we can retrieve from a relatively simple instrument.

How does this work deliver real-world impact?

 UK Space Command are looking to develop the prototype into an operational instrument, to protect space assets by detecting and characterising activities in space. There is also a significant civil driver to space situational awareness, involving coordinating activities, collision avoidance and ultimately a space traffic management system.