The Ground Debris Detection Node (GDDN) will investigate a low-cost debris optical sensing node architecture that can effectively detect and track debris 1-5m or larger, using commercially sourced optical hardware. This idea will help us measure and expand our view between Earth and the Moon. The goal of this project is to build a credible data acquisition pipeline by developing a low-cost detection sensor (telescope, camera, and mount). The team will produce a working ground prototype (hardware + data capture procedure).

The modern age has an operational debris catalog that is limited by sensor physics and cost trade-offs. Low Earth Orbit (LEO) can see objects about 10cm in size to only about 1000km in the atmosphere, whereas farther out in Geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO) can only see large objects about 0.3-1m in size in deeper space at around 45,000km. This limited range means that cis-lunar objects remain undetected. This creates a need to make more affordable, fieldable optical nodes that can contribute observations.

That is where the GDDN addresses that need by demonstrating a low-cost, modular optical node that can be reproduced with commercial hardware. A successful prototype combines a 305 mm class optical telescope with a cooled CMOS imaging sensor, guided equatorial tracking, and a lightweight processing workflow. This would lower the barrier to future missions to the moon by enabling multi-node coordination and broadening sky coverage for safety and reconnaissance.