Advanced space-based detector research at the Air Force Research Laboratory

At the Space Vehicles Directorate of the Air Force Research Laboratory we are interested in the use of detectors in space for surveillance and situational awareness missions. Our primary interests are in observations of objects both on earth and in space, each of which has very different background requirements. In addition, the space environment itself is especially demanding of any sensor system that will be expected to work continuously for long periods of time in such a challenging environment. In this talk we will describe some of the requirements for operation in space (low temperatures, long distances, high radiation, etc.), and some of the research we have been performing to address these special issues.