Scientists from the Department of Physics at Tomsk State University (TSU) have begun studying the complex trajectories of objects - space debris, near-lunar objects and near-Earth asteroids. The regularities of their movement are studied using computer modeling and machine data analysis, said the Russian Science Foundation (RSF).

At the moment, according to NASA, in the near-Earth space, there are a few hundred thousand objects measuring at least 10 centimeters. Annual growth is about a thousand fragments. The results of the project, supported by the Russian Science Foundation, will help sort out the distribution of space debris.

"An equally urgent task is to study the orbital evolution of near-lunar objects, as mankind intends to explore the Moon and near-lunar space in the coming decades. Studying the dynamic structure of this space area will help avoid mistakes and unproductive costs in implementing near-lunar projects," said project manager, Associate Professor of Astronomy and Space Geodesy Chair at TSU Department of Physics Anna Aleksandrova.

However, the project also solves another problem - improving the accuracy of predicting the movement of asteroids approaching the Earth, said the Russian Science Foundation. The creation by TSU scientists of a more accurate model of their movement will allow better prediction of the potential danger of these objects.

"To analyze the data, the researchers use an algorithmic model implemented using artificial neural networks. This has automated part of the process to identify the resonances that affect the motion of near-Earth and near-lunar objects. <...> The use of machine learning methods significantly speeds up the processing of large amounts of data and relieves scientists from the monotonous routine classification process," says the report.

Made in Russia // Made in Russia