Alexander MacManus

I am a 2nd Year PhD student in the Astronomy and Astrophysics group at the University of Warwick, supervised by Don Pollacco (2023-2026/7).

I completed a Masters degree in Mathematics and Physics at Warwick University and graduated in 2019. I spent 4 years in industry researching analysis techniques for networks of digital push-to-talk radios before returning to academia in 2023 to pursue a PhD in multi-band (optical and Shortwave infra-red) analysis for the characterisation of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites.

Research: Space Domain Awareness - Satellite Characterisation

There has been a recent increase in the growth of the number of resident space objects (RSOs) and as a result, the importance of Space Domain Awareness (SDA) has never been greater. There are around 45,000 objects in the public catalogue, not including objects too small to be tracked and any satellites deliberately omitted from the catalogue, such as some military satellites. Estimates of untracked objects vary, but : as the risk of collisions increases this has serious implications for the safety of active satellites. Additionally, this quantity of data threatens to overwhelm current analyst capacity.

Consequently, the focus of my research is on developing methods and tools in a subset of SDA concerned with the characterisation of existing tracked objects, using machine learning to aid analysts in bulk data processing. The main aim is to use (relatively) high-speed optical and shortwave infra-red imagery of satellites using the CLASP telescope, a University of Warwick owned system sited at the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory in La Palma, Canary Islands. This telescope is mounted with two telescopes, one fitted with an optical sensor and one with and infra-red sensor, which allows for separate continuous streams of optical and infra-red data on the same target. With the CLASP system, we can recover the satellites light curve (it’s reflected light over time), and then use the light curves to determine the satellites behaviour and capabilities. What does “behaviour and capabilities” really mean? The idea is to examine the light curve and determine what type of satellite it is, and whether it is e.g. active, inactive, tumbling and so on. This allows us to make determinations about the possible danger of tracked objects of unknown provenance – for instance, an out-of-control satellite or piece of debris can be accurately catalogued as such, so other objects can manoeuvre to avoid it. This is done in two bands on the belief that the optical and infra-red bands provide different information about the target, based on the different material properties giving different reflections.

Talks and Conferences

• Advanced Maui Optical and Space Surveillance Conference (AMOS) 09/2025: Dual-band Characterisation of Low-Earth Orbit Satellites Using Machine Learning Techniques (paper & presentation)
• Operating in the Future Electromagnetic Environment (OFEME) 11/2025: A Novel Algorithm for Automated Production of Low Earth Orbit Light Curves in Shortwave Infrared (poster & lightning talk)