Analytic Space Domain Awareness

Space domain awareness (SDA) is the "identification, characterization and understanding of any factor, passive or active, associated with the space domain that could affect space operations and thereby impact the security, safety, economy or environment of our nation."[1] While the metric observations of tracking and monitoring are essential for characterizing patterns of life and anomalistic behavior, non-metric data helps to unlock more subtle but important operational features. The rich corpus of data generated from the persistent surveillance and capture of metric data provides the foundation for a next-gen set of SDA tools. LeoRisk provides three complementary capabilities: quantified statistical collision probability of collision (PC) from cataloged and lethal nontrackable (LNT) debris; identifies dangerous objects and orbits (with regard to collision risk); and determines likely cause of a fragmentation event based on physics and logic tests. Specific examples are examined for each of these three utilities to reinforce the importance of looking beyond kinematic states to operationally-relevant encounter statistics to unearth subtle changes in the threat environment. These three analytic assessment dimensions create a coherent, mutually-supportive means to leverage tracking & monitoring data to not only prevent strategic surprise in space but also provide predictive and forensics insights. In addition to these diagnostic activities, the LeoLabs foundational service provides a means to further characterize non-physical interactions between space systems based on unique space system factors of power, pointing, propulsion, processing, and payload (i.e., mission capability) often in near-real-time. This capability is enabled by a significant amount of preprocessing and fusion of data sources at the sensor, feature, and decision levels in tandem with automated data ingestion.

[1] Air Force: SSA is no more; it's 'Space Domain Awareness' - SpaceNews