EU-ESA Workshop on Astrometric and Radar Observations of NEOs

Session

Radar observations

8 Oct 2025, 11:40

ESRIN-01121-Magellan (ESRIN)

51. Physical characterisation of near-Earth objects using planetary radar observations

Anne Virkki (Department of Physics, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland / Finnish Geospatial Research Institute, National Land Survey, Espoo, Finland)

08/10/2025, 11:40

Planetary radar observations provide a powerful tool for post-discovery characterisation of the physical and dynamical properties of asteroids, comets, the Moon, and terrestrial planets. Radar systems can measure the asteroid’s radar cross section and Doppler broadening, which provide information on the asteroid’s size, rotation rate, and the composition. Radar can also be used for...

73. The Effelsberg 100-m telescope and its potential for NEO observations

Alexander Kraus

08/10/2025, 12:05

Although more than 50 years old, the 100m-telescope at Effelsberg is still one
of the two largest fully steerable radio telescopes in the world. Its frequency
coverage (300 MHz to 90 GHz) and agility, the high sensitivity, and the various
flexible backends make it a unique instrument in Europe.

Consequently, it is heavily involved in various kinds of astronomical research
using the...

71. The ESA “NEO Observation Concepts for Radar Systems” Project and Beyond

Giuseppe Pupillo (INAF-IRA)

08/10/2025, 12:30

From‬‭ 2019‬‭ to‬‭ 2022,‬‭ ESA‬‭ funded‬‭ the‬‭ pilot‬‭ project‬‭ “NEO‬‭ Observation‬‭ Concepts‬‭ for‬‭ Radar‬‭ Systems,”‬ aimed‬‭ at‬‭ developing‬‭ a‬‭ European‬‭ radar‬‭ system‬‭ for‬‭ Near-Earth‬‭ Objects‬‭ (NEOs).‬‭ The‬‭ initiative‬ focused‬‭ on‬‭ enhancing‬‭ planetary‬‭ defense,‬‭ mission‬‭ planning,‬‭ and‬‭ scientific‬‭ research.‬‭ Key‬ contributions‬‭ came‬‭ from‬‭ INAF,‬‭ SpaceDyS,‬‭...

77. Towards a European Planetary Radar: Concepts, Architectures, and Trade-offs

Marco Alessandrini (ESA)

08/10/2025, 12:55

Since the collapse of the ARECIBO radio telescope occurred on the 1st of December 2020 we are missing a powerful instrument that has been used for decades for Planetary Radar astronomy. Several institutions in US are trying to identify a viable solution to substitute the ARECIBO telescope. In Europe there are limited resources that could be used to perform this type of experiments. We would...