Based on the radar equation and system noise characteristics, the maximum detection range model of a space debris laser ranging system at a 1064 nm wavelength is established, taking into account the factors of atmospheric transmission and sky background radiance. Through theoretical analysis and simulation experiments, the influencing factors of atmospheric transmission and sky background radiance are studied, and the influencing factors are normalized into the maximum detection range model by polynomial fitting. The results indicate that a high atmospheric transmission comes from a high altitude and low target zenith angle; a low sky background radiance comes from a small target zenith angle and low solar altitude angle, while the angular distance has no obvious influence on the sky background radiance. The experimental results indicate that the comprehensive accuracy of the maximum detection range model of the system is 86%, and the effectiveness of the model is verified by using a 1064 nm wavelength laser ranging for the debris target with a distance of 700–1100 km and a cross section area of 4–10 m². The model can be used to evaluate the ability of the space debris laser ranging system at a 1064 nm wavelength.

With the increase in human space activities, there is a significant amount of space debris as well as defunct satellites that seriously threaten the safety of spacecraft in their orbits. The laser ranging technique is one of the most accurate methods of ground-based space target observation. Therefore, it is very meaningful to study efficient tracking and observation methods for defunct satellites and space debris. In this paper, time bias, which is in advance of the actual observation, was added by analyzing the deviation of the orbit prediction such as the time bias and range bias of the runaway space objects. A new method was used for the determination of the TB and RB in real-time tracking and in data processing. The data produced from the observation of the out-of-control targets, such as the Topex satellite and CZ-2C Long March Launch Vehicle, were presented and analyzed. Taking the laser ranging data of the Topex satellite obtained on 19 November 2019, as an example, the result of the first observation circle provided the initial time bias value for the second observation circle, proving that the laser ranging method for runaway space objects is effective. The results of this paper can effectively improve the acquisition efficiency of the defunct satellites.

Daytime detection of space targets is challenging due to the strong skylight background and the limited resolution of conventional polarization imaging systems. In this work, we present a semiconductor-based polarization detection method that integrates a CMOS polarization imaging sensor with a Schmidt–Cassegrain telescope. To compensate for the spatial resolution loss inherent in division-of-focal-plane semiconductor polarization detectors, a bicubic interpolation algorithm is applied to reconstruct the degree and angle of polarization images. Furthermore, a spectral filtering strategy is introduced to suppress skylight-induced stray radiation, improving image contrast and reducing the risk of detector saturation. The developed system combines semiconductor optoelectronic detection, optical filtering, and computational reconstruction into a compact experimental platform. Validation experiments on Polaris and low-Earth-orbit space targets under daytime conditions demonstrate that the proposed approach achieves clearer and sharper polarization images compared with traditional intensity-based methods. Objective evaluation metrics, including gradient, contrast, brightness, and spatial frequency, confirm significant improvements in image quality. These results highlight the potential of semiconductor optoelectronic devices for polarization-based imaging and provide an effective framework for enhancing daytime space target detection.