Filippo Fonseca, Yale University; Owen Pinhasi, Yale University; Zachary Zitzewitz, Yale University
Keywords: sda, space-domain-awareness, uct, algorithm, algorithmic-development, uct-processing, benchmarking, performance, satellite, satellites, orbit, orbital-analysis, tracking
Abstract:
Uncorrelated Track (UCT) processing has quickly become one of the most important tools in modern space operations. At its core, it is what allows us to spot potential threats, avoid collisions, and keep space traffic organized in an increasingly crowded environment. Yet the irony is clear: because this challenge is so new, judging whether the latest algorithms actually work as intended is still a problem in itself. Progress, then, requires not only the invention of better algorithms but also the creation of a shared framework for testing and comparing them in a fair and consistent way.
This project, carried out by Yale University’s Space Policy Research Collaborative, was developed in close partnership with the Space Domain Awareness Track Assessment and Processing Laboratory (SDA TAP Lab), a program run by the U.S. Space Force’s Space Systems Command. That partnership gave us access to real operational data and the guidance of experts working directly on SDA every day. The result is research that does not remain abstract or detached, but instead reflects the real-world demands of space defense. The work presented here is meant to push algorithmic solutions forward while also setting the groundwork for how those solutions should be judged in the years ahead.
Date of Conference: September 16-19, 2025
Track: Astrodynamics