The U.S. military is urgently upgrading its space object tracking systems, which are struggling to keep pace with the increasing number of satellites and sophisticated capabilities of rival nations. The current Cold War-era infrastructure and manual processes are inadequate for today's complex space environment, characterized by unpredictable satellite maneuvers and frequent commercial launches.
At Vandenberg Space Force Base, personnel maintain the space catalog using the U.S. Space Surveillance Network (SSN), which monitors approximately 47,000 objects. Experts argue that this manual approach is unsustainable and advocate for advanced machine learning systems to automatically identify and characterize space objects.
Concerns have heightened due to incidents like China's Shijian-21 spacecraft towing a defunct satellite, and the breakup of the Intelsat 33e satellite, which created over 700 pieces of debris in geostationary orbit. These events underscore the need for enhanced space monitoring capabilities.
Gen. Chance Saltzman emphasizes that comprehensive space domain awareness is crucial for competing with China and maintaining secure access to space. The Space Force's fiscal year 2025 budget proposal includes approximately $854 million for space domain awareness and combat power programs.
Efforts to modernize space tracking infrastructure have been slow, with the Advanced Tracking and Launch Analysis System (ATLAS) only recently handed over to the Space Force for testing. Experts suggest that even ATLAS may not be sufficient and that a broader suite of capabilities is needed.
Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall advocates for AI-enabled decision-making at machine speed, and a RAND Corporation report suggests that AI and machine learning could significantly enhance space monitoring. Commercial companies like Slingshot Aerospace and ExoAnalytic Solutions are already using AI to analyze sensor data, but integration with military programs has been slow.
The Space Systems Command is exploring options for a proliferated surveillance architecture for GEO orbit, and the Space Security and Defense Program is soliciting industry input on advanced space domain awareness technologies. Former Pentagon official Josh Hartman highlights the need for edge computing to process data directly on orbital sensors.
The modernization of space tracking systems is critical to ensuring America's space monitoring capabilities can keep pace with emerging threats and the increasing congestion in space.