Can satellites have a polarimetric fingerprint? That is exactly the question behind a recent GEO satellite observing campaign carried out by Officina Stellare, in collaboration with INAF – Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica and the University of Padua.
By measuring the polarization of sunlight reflected by satellites, we observed signatures that appear stable, repeatable and, in some cases, linked to specific satellite platforms.
Among the most interesting results, satellites belonging to the same platform family exhibit remarkably similar trajectories in the Q-U plane, suggesting the existence of platform-dependent polarimetric fingerprints.
These are encouraging first steps toward future Space Situational Awareness applications, where polarization may complement traditional photometric observations.
The work is part of a broader R&D roadmap that will continue through 2028, with the development of a dedicated polarimetric SSA observation system.
