Awarded by the US Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the Oversight program will seek to create an autonomous system to track and maintain continued “custody” or terrestrial assets through satellite connections.
The program will see the application of software and algorithmic tools across networked satellite constellations to support tactical surveillance activity.
Under Phase 2, algorithmic development and testing of performance across larger satellites and more complex operational scenarios will occur, with the additional support of higher-fidelity modelling and simulation technology.
“Future mission requirements are pushing capabilities to the tactical edge,” said Dr Ben Cooper, principal scientist at FAST Labs.
“In space, this means operating primarily on-board satellites. Through this program, we will help make the space domain more tactically relevant for warfighters.”
By enabling co-ordination and data processing, the approach reduces latency and increases revisit rates, allowing for almost real-time tracking.
The resulting improvements in the scale, availability, and timeliness of data are intended to enhance situational awareness and support faster operational decision making.
The award follows the completion of the Phase 1 program, which saw BAE Systems integrate its software into a modelling and simulation environment to demonstrate a custody mission using representative satellite and sensor models.
Production and additional work on the program will occur at BAE Systems’ facilities in Burlington, Massachusetts.