Experimental Trials of Space Object Detection using LOFAR Radio Telescope as a Receiver in Passive Radar

The paper presents the results of the first measurements devoted to the experimental verification of the capability of space object detection by passive radar system using astronomical LOFAR (LOw-Frequency ARray) radio telescopes as receivers and DAB+ commercial transmitters as illuminators of opportunity. Two LOFAR stations were used in the measurements, one station as a surveillance receiver and the other as a reference receiver. The obtained results confirmed the earlier expectations about the possibility of passive space target detection employing the LOFAR radio telescopes or dedicated phased antenna arrays with dimensions and complexity comparable to the LOF AR radio telescopes.