Award

There is an acute need for low cost, high accuracy, timely SSA for both the United States Air Force and commercial customers. The ExoAnalytic Global Telescope Network (EGTN) is currently comprised of over 250 optical telescopes used to maintain state accuracy of geostationary objects. Optical telescopes are constrained by the relative position of the Sun, which leads to gaps in the custody of space objects during the day. The addition of EAVESDROP, a passive RF system of low-cost SDRs, to the existing optical telescope network will help close the gaps by providing daytime detections. Additionally, passive RF systems can detect changes in transmission frequencies, which enhances the tipping and cueing of the optical telescopes in the network, maintaining custody and situational awareness of high interest objects without the need for high cost ground based radar systems.