Military branch, Space Force, reportedly conducts undisclosed tests on surveillance sensors, designed to identify when Chinese observation activities are underway.
The Space Rapid Capabilities Office (RCO) has been discreetly testing satellite-mounted technology to detect tracking by China's space surveillance network, according to Director Kelly Hammett. He revealed the secretive operation during a media roundtable at the AFA Warfare Symposium as an example of the Space RCO's operational successes.
For several years, China has launched numerous intelligence satellites to monitor Earth, but little is known about their space surveillance efforts. The Chinese SISO network, which refers to the sensors and radars used for Space Object Surveillance and Identification, is one of these efforts.
U.S. Space Force officials believe China is developing the ability to track and target American satellites. To protect its own satellites, the Space Force has a variety of satellites, radars, and telescopes that monitor objects in space, such as the Geosynchronous Space Situational Awareness Program and the Space-Based Space Surveillance program.
The Space RCO's experimental payloads, launched on the LDPE-3A satellite in January 2023, are designed to boost a satellite's situational awareness. These sensors can detect whether a satellite is being observed, tracked, or targeted, information that could be invaluable in protecting space assets. The Space RCO aims to disseminate this capability throughout the Space Force.
In connection with this initiative, the Space RCO has recently announced that it is partnering with several space startups to develop technologies for "own-ship awareness." While space domain awareness and space situational awareness focus on tracking other objects in orbit, own-ship awareness is about detecting and reporting anomalies, hazards, and threats to individual satellites. This concept is crucial for ensuring the health and safety of satellites in orbit.
Hammett expanded on the connection between the two efforts, saying that the Space RCO is actively working on an on-orbit, self-awareness indications and warning capability. The goal is to proliferate this technology across the entire Space Force, but further details on how this would be achieved remain unclear.
Another significant project in the Space RCO's portfolio is the Satellite Communications Augmentation Resource (SCAR). The SCAR aims to modernize the Satellite Control Network (SCN) by providing relocatable, electronically steerable satellite communication systems. The upgrades involve new antennas, electronics, and software designed to expand satellite control communications bandwidth and flexibility.
The SCN, which includes antennas worldwide, faces challenges due to an increasing number of satellites requiring support. The SCAR system is designed to address these limitations by enabling the SCN to handle multiple satellite contacts simultaneously, improving its capacity and efficiency in managing satellite communications.
The SCAR system will initially involve adding electronically steerable phased-array antennas to the network, with the first of these new antennas expected later this year. The Space RCO is also working on modularizing the antennas, known as "Badgers," to better suit specific mission requirements.
- The Space Rapid Capabilities Office (RCO) is partnering with several space startups to develop technologies for "own-ship awareness," which aims to detect and report anomalies, hazards, and threats to individual satellites, reiterating their commitment to ensuring the health and safety of satellites in space.
- To counter the potential threat from China's advanced space surveillance network, the Space RCO has been testing satellite-mounted technology for detecting tracking activities, a critical part of securing America's space assets.
- The Space Force, recognizing China's efforts to track and target American satellites, deploys various satellites, radars, and telescopes such as the Geosynchronous Space Situational Awareness Program and the Space-Based Space Surveillance program for continuous monitoring of objects in space.
- The Space RCO aims to disseminate the capability of detecting whether a satellite is being observed, tracked, or targeted, garnered from the experimental payloads on the LDPE-3A satellite, throughout the Space Force as part of a broader initiative to strengthen both space domain awareness and individual satellite security.
