Raven automated small telescope systems

The Raven optical sensor is a commercial system being developed and tested by the Air Force Research Laboratory. It allows for a low cost method for obtaining high accuracy angular observations of space objects (manmade and celestial) with a standard deviation of approximately one arcsecond or less. Presented here is an overview of the past and present successes and future projects utilizing Raven. This system has evolved into a very viable and cost effective solution for obtaining low-cost observations for satellite and asteroid catalog and follow-up maintenance. Collaborative efforts between AFRL and several space agencies (JPL, NASA, Space Battlelab, Canadian Defense Ministry, etc) have successfully demonstrated and utilized the Raven system for their missions, including improved satellite orbit determination accuracy, NEO follow-ups, and remote, autonomous collecting and reporting of metric data on deep space objects.