Electro Optic Systems' (EOS) US subsidiary, EOS Defense Systems USA has been awarded two contracts to provide space tracking services to the US government.
EOS will provide the services to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) government agency’s Office of Space Commerce.
The first contract will provide commercial satellite laser ranging (SLR) data for NOAA’s Open Architecture Data Repository, with the second contract providing passive electro-optical observations.
In order to respond to the ever-increasing number of space objects orbiting the Earth, NOAA is dedicated to advancing space traffic management and SSA capabilities and is establishing an Open Architecture SSA Repository to conduct pilots, prototypes and experiments to fulfill its obligations under the Space Policy Directive-3, enacted in June 2018. These efforts will facilitate the safe operation of space-based vehicles.
The EOSDS USA team, based in Huntsville, will be supported by EOS Space Systems providing services from its Australian ground-based space-tracking infrastructure and observation facilities at Mt Stromlo, ACT and Learmonth, WA.
“EOSDS USA is pleased to offer this capability to NOAA to advance US Space Domain Awareness capabilities and ultimately help protect future space missions,” said retired Brig. Gen. Phil Coker, CEO of EOSDS USA. “After decades of being a global leader in Space Situational Awareness, we’re proud to bring this exceptional technology to the US.”
“EOS Space Systems is pleased to offer our tracking services to NOAA and contribute to the advancement of space traffic management and space situational awareness capabilities,” said James Bennett, Executive Vice President of EOS Space Systems. “EOS is committed to the safety of flight of satellites and are pleased to be working closely with the US to facilitate the safe operation of space-based vehicles.”
EOS has already demonstrated its capabilities to the US Government over the past three years, having contributed to the US-led Sprint Advanced Concept Training (SACT) exercises, responding in real-time alongside international participants to a variety of simulated and actual space events. The exercises are the premier showcase and “sandbox” for the global space industry’s new and emerging technologies.
Most recently EOS supplied SACT Operations with high-fidelity, near-time image, tracking and light curve data for the entire event. They also recorded and analysed a number of live rendezvous and proximity operation incidents between orbiting objects that occurred during the exercises.