This summer, the EU Space Surveillance and Tracking (EU SST) and NOAA’s Office of Space Commerce (OSC) from the United States started collaborating on a study on Space Situational Awareness (SSA) data interoperability. The main goal of this study is to demonstrate the benefits of fusing observations of Earth orbiting objects (angles, range, range rate) to better estimate satellite orbits for collision avoidance, hence contributing to a safer and more sustainable space and to the safety and security of economies, societies and citizens.
For this technical demonstration, both actors are sharing SSA observational data collected on several satellites by a large part of their respective networks of sensors. The satellites selected for this work span altitudes from Low Earth Orbit (LEO) all the way up to Geosynchronous Earth Orbit (GEO).
This joint effort, a first for both actors, will allow to understand, assess and integrate each other’s data at an experimental level, with a view to improving collision avoidance services. By understanding and exchanging the technical specifications of this study, EU SST and OSC will also be able to determine initial levels of collaboration, as well as to inform any decisions regarding the potential scope and integration of further cooperation in the SSA domain. The first outcomes of this study will be available in spring 2023.