Vantor to support U.S. Space Force with visual-based tracking of high-interest space objects
Summary Points:
- NEI will support position and trajectory measurements to maintain awareness of objects that could change orbit.
- Vantor’s satellites capture imagery with resolutions of less than 10 centimeters.
- The company, formerly known as Maxar Intelligence, is also participating in the Commercial COLA Gap Pathfinder program and Space Force’s Apollo Accelerator Cohort 6.
WESTMINSTER, Colo. - Vantor, a provider of unified spatial intelligence from space to ground in Westminster, Colo., announced it will be supporting the U.S. Space Force in tracking high-interest objects that pass through "blind spots" in space that are not visible to ground sensor networks.
Under the contract, which supports Space Force’s Joint Commercial Operations program, Vantor will utilize its high-resolution imagery of space objects, known as non-Earth imagery (NEI), to deliver key information about an object’s position and trajectory. The observations will enable Space Force to maintain persistent custody of high-interest objects and are particularly useful when an object has the potential to change orbit, which could threaten the safety of U.S. assets in space.
"Vantor’s unique visual-based space domain awareness capabilities serve as a critical complement to traditional sensor networks, providing real-time intelligence that allows customers like Space Force to achieve persistent Space Domain Awareness," said Susanne Hake, senior vice president and general manager for U.S. Government at Vantor. "Our NEI capability serves as a foundation for advanced orbital intelligence, delivering vital insights about the state and directional paths of objects in LEO, providing a critical national security advantage in a domain that is increasingly congested and contested."
Position and trajectory measurements on objects in ground sensor "blind spots" can be delivered through the precise intelligence collected from NEI. Vantor satellites can capture images of other spacecraft at an industry-leading resolution of less than 10 centimeters from hundreds of kilometers away, enabling quick characterization of those spacecraft and determination of their health and status.
This Space Force award is one of several Space Domain Awareness-related contracts that Vantor, previously known as Maxar Intelligence, has recently secured.
Vantor is an awardee of the Office of Space Commerce’s Commercial COLA Gap Pathfinder program. The COLA Gap refers to the period immediately following a satellite launch when space traffic coordination is hampered by limited or imprecise tracking data. During this time, newly deployed satellites may not have reliable positional information, increasing collision risk and posing challenges for satellite operators, launch providers, and traffic management authorities. Vantor’s NEI and Space Domain Awareness capabilities will provide visual-based intelligence to help minimize collision risk.
Vantor was also included in Space Force’s Domain Awareness Tools, Applications, and Processing Lab’s Apollo Accelerator Cohort 6. Under this program, the company will support Space Force by automatically tasking high-resolution NEI to enable rapid-response decision-making on potential threats in orbit.
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