Infrastructure
Space Situational Awareness Satellites
Space Situational Awareness
With more business and investment in space infrastructure and services, many discussions, studies, and opportunities surrounding space situational awareness (SSA) occurred during 2016. Knowing what might happen or is happening…
2014 – U.S.: GSSAP, ANGELS, and SBSS
In February 2014, the USAF took the unusual step of publicly announcing the existence of classified space situational awareness satellites. In the initial announcement, General William Shelton stated that the…
2014 – Canada: Sapphire
Launched in February 2013 and fully operational as of January 2014, the Canadian Department of National Defence’s (DND’s) Sapphire satellite was designed to provide data about space objects orbiting the…
2015 – European Commercial Space Surveillance – Snapshot
Collision avoidance is gaining the attention of commercial satellite operators as the Earth’s orbits continue to become more congested. A non-profit association of satellite operators from the Isle of Man,…
2015 – France: SSA – Snapshot
SSA operations in France are shared by the French Air Force and the Centre National d’Études Spatiales (CNES). The missions for French SSA activities are similar to U.S. military efforts,…
2015 – ESA: SSA – Snapshot
The European Space Agency is funding its own SSA program, mandated in 2008, launched in 2009, and funded through 2016.[efn_note]“About SSA.” ESA. October 29, 2015. http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Operations/Space_Situational_Awareness/About_SSA. (accessed February 25, 2016)[/efn_note]…
2015 – Russia: SSA – Snapshot
Russian SSA efforts are operated by the military, as is the case in the United States. Russia’s Space Control Center (TSKKP) falls within the Defense Ministry’s Main Space Intelligence Center.…
2015 – U.S. Commercial Space Surveillance – Snapshot
U.S.-based companies like Analytical Graphics, Inc. (AGI) are developing their own SSA initiatives. Supplying services based more on the USSTRATCOM vision of SSA to space operators, commercial SSA services, processes…
2015 – U.S. Space Surveillance Network – Snapshot
Since July 2010, the United States Strategic Command’s Joint Space Operations Center (JSpOC) has collected satellite orbit data and provided SSA to military, government, and commercial satellite operators through sending…
2015 – Canada: Sapphire and NEOSSat – Snapshot
Canadian SSA operations are conducted using two satellites: Sapphire and NEOSSat. The Canadian Department of National Defence (DND) uses Sapphire, which moves around the Earth in a sun-synchronous orbit to…