LeoLabs is a provider of vertically integrated space operations stack, offering unmatched coverage, real-time tracking, and powerful insights for satellite operators, commercial enterprises, and federal agencies in low Earth orbit.

LeoLabs

Through LeoLabs Vertex™, our vertically integrated space operations stack, we’re transforming the way satellite operators, commercial enterprises, and federal agencies launch and track missions in low Earth orbit. With unmatched coverage, real-time tracking, and powerful insights, companies and governments around the world rely on us to safely execute operations in space.

We're thrilled to announce we've been selected by the Office of Space Commerce to advance #TraCSS, the world's first, civil-led national space coordination system. As part of the Consolidated Pathfinder, the OSC will leverage LeoLabs' in-house expertise, AI techniques, and the largest commercial dataset of over 20,000 objects to help develop and test this landmark system.

“Just as air traffic management is critical for flight safety, space traffic coordination is critical for space safety," said Leolabs CEO Daniel Ceperley. “The number of satellites in LEO grew by ~45% in 2023 and is expected to grow by an additional ~35% in 2024. This, coupled with the growth of space debris, means more coordination is needed to prevent collisions. LeoLabs is delighted to be a foundational layer of the US Traffic Coordination System for Space, the world’s most advanced system enabling enhanced space safety and sustainability."

As a first-of-its-kind system, TraCSS is a clear demonstration of American leadership and ingenuity for space safety — and we’re honored to help build it. We look forward to working with the Office of Space Commerce, Slingshot Aerospace and COMSPOC on delivering this capability.

The Office of Space Commerce is kicking off a commercial pathfinder project in support of its Traffic Coordination System for Space (#TraCSS). 

To execute the pathfinder, OSC placed orders with COMSPOC, LeoLabs, and Slingshot Aerospace for space situational awareness (SSA) data and services. 

Additional pathfinders to follow!

Read more: https://lnkd.in/erSbrwTS

A deep dive with LeoLabs Australia's Terry van Haren DSM into the objects and activities we're watching in low Earth orbit — including the recently launched PRC Test Spacecraft2. #SpaceSecurity

Evidence indicates that the PRC Test Spacecraft 3, launched on Dec 14, raised its orbit over Jan 5-6 by ~9 km. We're continuously monitoring this object using our radar network, especially our radars in the Southern Hemisphere.

Here's why that matters. 

While we have 6 phased-array radar sites tracking objects in low Earth orbit, our radars in New Zealand and Australia in particular fill a critical Southern Hemisphere coverage gap. This is important for space domain awareness (SDA).

As the traffic in LEO grows, so does the need for space safety and SDA, which requires comprehensive, continuous coverage of the space environment.

In particular, we need to reduce the time elapsed between observations (i.e., the revisit rate) in order to study and monitor activities in space, from potential collisions and satellite maneuvers to proximity operations and anti-satellite weapon tests.

This requires not only increasing the number of ground radars intended for space observation but also distributing them geographically.

Notably, countries in the Indo-Pacific region are increasingly launching satellites for a variety of purposes. With a lack of coverage, non-cooperative launches and anomalous activities can go undetected for periods of time, potentially impacting space safety and security.

That's why we built radars in New Zealand and Australia — to close the coverage gap and prevent operational surprise.

We're thrilled to be in Oman this week for Euroconsult's #MESC2024, our first conference of the year! If you're in town, reach out to Moataz AbdelAzim to connect about our space safety and security services — and don't miss his appearance on the panel "Enabling Markets of Tomorrow" this Wednesday at 11:45 GST. 

Details: https://lnkd.in/gDbUBax6

That's a wrap on 2023! 

This year, we traveled from Australia to Costa Rica, Portugal, Japan, France, India, Germany, and more to welcome new partners, advocate for space safety, identify potential threats, and deliver key insights. We've won multiple awards, commissioned two radar sites, unveiled new AI-driven capabilities, taken the stage at several events, and met with some of the best and brightest in the industry. 

We're grateful for everyone we've connected with this year, including our partners and customers — because of you, we continuously strive for excellence and ingenuity. A special thank you to our LeoLabs team. You keep our eyes on the sky 24/7, ensuring that space stays safe and secure. Every day we’re reminded that we've assembled the best crew in #space. 

Here's to an even busier 2024! 🥂

Wherever you are in the universe, we wish you a safe and restful holiday season. ✨🛰️ #HappyHolidays

Potentially threatening on-orbit activities seem to coincide with US holidays. Is it on purpose? Probably, says Edward Lu. 

"The convenient timing can allow some satellite maneuvers to go undetected for periods of time," says Owen Marshall, LeoLabs SDA analyst. “The fact that you can release something, and if you can release it in such a way that nobody realized you released it, then you essentially have a secret payload up there without its own launch. Until somebody catches up to it, it’s hidden for some periods."

As we've stated before, the type of "spawning" event we observed this past Thanksgiving can be concerning because it can be a method of deploying co-orbital ASATs or covert payloads that may pose a risk to sensitive or classified satellites. 

How can we keep #space secure?

It's vital that commercial providers and allied governments collaborate — this includes via the Joint Task Force – Space Defense (JCO), which enables a more rapid and effective response.

For example, in the case of COSMOS 2570, we were able to reacquire the object after it was "lost" in October utilizing a cue from the 18th Space Defense Squadron. In addition, over Thanksgiving, we were able to rapidly alert the JCO that we had detected a new object deployed by COSMOS 2570's sub-satellite Object C after a pass over one of our radar sites. That alert prompted all parties to investigate the event, characterize the object, and ensure custody was maintained.

☝ This was a clear indication of the increasingly critical rapid response enabled by the JCO, which allows for coordination between the U.S. Space Command, allies, and commercial providers.

We'll be on high alert during the upcoming holiday season for similar events to what we saw over Thanksgiving, providing immediate updates to the JCO and other customers. 

Put simply, we'll be watching.

Thank you, Space Force Association for today's fantastic panel on the technological innovations improving SDA, including advances in AI/ML for object characterization. "I think we'll be able to characterize objects within hours of them being launched," said Victor Gardner, "which will pull us ahead of that near peer adversary."

Why does this matter? 

Threats in #space increase with every launch, especially as "unknown" payloads are increasingly going into LEO. By using AI, we can more rapidly identify these payloads and assess their capabilities to understand if they're a potential threat.

To learn how we're using AI and expert analysis to continuously monitor, detect, and characterize threats in #space, please reach out sales@leolabs.space.

⏰ Happening soon! If you're in Orlando this week for the Space Force Association's #SpacePowerConference, don't miss this panel on Space Domain Awareness today at 11:35 am ET with Victor Gardner.

SPACE:LEOLABS

LeoLabs