US Space Force Enhances Space Surveillance Network with AI

"Current Status of the US Space Surveillance Network. / Secure World Foundation"

The US Space Force is enhancing the capabilities of its Space Surveillance Network (SSN) by integrating artificial intelligence.

To achieve this, the US Space Force signed a contract worth $99.7 million with defense technology company Anduril Industries.

The contract spans five years, during which Anduril will use its proprietary AI system, "Lattice," to autonomously process and distribute data within the Space Surveillance Network.

The US military's Space Surveillance Network was initially deployed in the late 1950s to provide early warning of ballistic missile launches, and it currently operates globally distributed surveillance assets, including conventional radars, phased array radars, and telescopes.

The military uses this network to detect missiles and track satellites and space debris in orbit.

Anduril's AI, "Lattice," enables various sensors that make up the Space Surveillance Network, such as phased array radars and telescopes, to communicate with each other.

Expanded communication between sensors will allow for faster and more accurate tracking and analysis of space objects, as well as an improvement in early warning capabilities for ballistic missile launches.

This is not the first time Anduril has been awarded a contract to enhance the Space Surveillance Network. In September, the US Space Force awarded Anduril a $25.3 million contract to integrate data and enhance communication systems within the Space Surveillance Network.

Additionally, in July 2023, the Space Force signed an $8 million contract with Anduril to install "mesh networking software" in the Space Surveillance Network.

This software autonomously analyzes data collected by sensors within the network to provide an integrated picture.