US Air Force Will Improve Space Surveillance System

The US Air Force's ground-based electro-optical deep-space surveillance system is about to get a better outlook. Under a program called Deep Stare, charge-coupled device cameras will replace the system's tube-based cameras. The upgrade, which must take place before 2002 when the tube-based cameras are no longer usable, will provide twice the quantum efficiency so that it will be easier to spot objects much farther away and darker objects designed to avoid detection.