ATLAS Space Operations has been awarded a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II award to develop their Space Domain Awareness (SDA) capabilities — this effort will use ATLAS software and hardware to increase ATLAS’ ability to conduct passive RF observations of on-orbit assets.
To deliver on the milestones of the SBIR, ATLAS leverages machine-to-machine (M2M) connectivity that makes creative use of unused antenna time within ATLAS’ global ground network. By exploiting time on antennas that would otherwise go unused, ATLAS will listen for assets in the path of a given antenna. This functionality has clear defense and intelligence applications, but can also be used following a satellite launch by listening for new assets. In addition, the SDA network will provide a much-needed capability to track asset orbits and de-conflict possible collisions in an increasingly populated orbit environment.
The space communications industry is undergoing a shift to maximize the utility of software to help make existing hardware as effective as possible. To support the space communications industry through this transition, ATLAS has recognized the prior pitfalls of the Ground Station as a Service model, and is instead offering Ground Software as a Service™ (GSaaS) — a software-centric solution that features all of the benefits of the company’s global ground network. With its focus on software, ATLAS is uniquely positioned to advance missions such as the SDA SBIR presented by AFRL.
“ATLAS’ work in the space domain awareness arena is closely aligned with our company goals as well as public and private sector visions for the future,” said Mike Carey, co-founder and newly appointed Chief Operating Officer. Carey continued, “The SDA initiative aligns well with our emphasis on software applications to address challenges where hardware alone falls short. Our team is proud to provide these critical capabilities for the rest of the space community, and we expect SDA services to grow in popularity shortly.”
