Nathaniel Dailey, MITRE & Space Force Association; Braden McGrath, MITRE Australia; Harvey Reed, MITRE; Jonathon Wotton, MITRE Australia
Keywords: SDA, SSA, Cislunar, Decentralized, SNARE, SISE
Abstract:
Space domain awareness (SDA) is presently conducted by governments (civil and military), commercial firms, academics, and individuals, with additional bilateral and multi-lateral SDA sharing agreements, such as consortiums. One goal of SDA is to help operators understand their options when they need to maneuver to execute their missions and to understand options if their Resident Space Objects (RSO) need to give way for debris and other RSOs which do not maneuver.
This paper will describe Partnering to Win data-sharing methods with Australia under the AUKUS Pact as a framework for advancing a collaborative endeavor to shape a Global Space Domain Awareness (GSDA) concept. The Australian Defence Space Command has highlighted that SDA is a cornerstone space control program. The AUKUS SDA framework can contribute to the rapidly growing need for enhanced global space situational awareness and space traffic coordination, preventing collisions, mitigating the risks posed by space debris, and responding to threats to space-based assets.
In the paper “SNARE (Sensor Network Autonomous Resilient Extensible): Decentralized Sensor Tasking Improves SDA Tactical Relevance” AMOS 2021 [Carden, Burchett, Reed], the authors present a method to improve how the U.S. Space Force Space Sensor Network (USSF SSN), which report to the Combined Space Operations Center (CSpOC), tasks its space sensors shifting from once per day tasking (SP TASKER method) to the dynamic and decentralized SNARE method, now in an operational prototype phase.
SNARE offers the potential for significant improvement in SDA using the SSN. However, due to the physical placement of space sensors, some portions of orbits may be difficult or impossible to observe with a fixed set of sensors, regardless of the efficacy of dynamic tasking. This challenge is a significant Limiting Factor (LIMFAC), and this paper introduces candidate methods to supplement fixed networks with ad hoc requests of other sensors, for example, from allies. Further, dedicated sensors with dynamic tasking (e.g., SNARE), even if supplemented with targeted ad hoc requests from allies and partners (governmental, commercial, academic), will still yield only a subset of the potential of a global SDA of even larger cooperative methods.
This paper introduces the GSDA concept, a decentralized and modular approach to incrementally foster an SDA network covering Earth and Cislunar regions. GSDA can cultivate partnerships that build enduring operational advantages by using SNARE-like decentralized dynamic sensor tasking and ad-hoc requests to vetted sensors grouped into GSDA ecosystems that interconnect across Earth and Cislunar regions. The primary architectural feature is a GSDA protocol overcoming barriers to collaboration by enabling a GSDA-compliant ecosystem plug-in to a global network of interconnected GSDA ecosystems. The primary technical features include decentralized tasking (SNARE & ad-hoc) and decentralized data technologies for information sharing and data storage. In turn, these features result in expanded mutually beneficial and trusted capacity, capability, and resiliency of our space forces.
The initial GSDA ecosystems will likely be driven by governments of spacefaring nations, although commercial and/or academic interests could drive GSDA ecosystems. The paper explores the initial configuration to start GSDA’s growth: the instantiation of a U.S., Australian, and U.K. set of GSDA-compliant ecosystems into an AUKUS GSDA. The AUKUS partnership can provide a framework for cooperation in space situational awareness, including sharing data, coordination of activities, joint exercises, and technology development. An AUKUS SSA partnership can act as critical force multiplier to expand our competitive advantage in response to growing strategic competition.
Date of Conference: September 19-22, 2023
Track: Space Domain Awareness