Robots Could Build Massive Metamaterial Radars in Orbit

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Tracking the debris orbiting at high velocity in space is only going to get harder over time.

We have ground-based radar systems, such as the Space Fence, designed to detect pieces down to around 10 cm.

But finding objects smaller than that, which can still cause a lot of damage traveling at 17,000 miles per hour, requires completely new thinking.

One potential solution is a new idea from Dr. David Smith of Duke University, who was recently funded for a NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) Phase I grant to build robotically assembled electromagnetic metamaterials for long-range space situational awareness.