October 10, 2024
1 Solar System Way, Planet Earth, USA
Discovery

Anduril wins $25 million contract to upgrade aging space surveillance network

WASHINGTON – The US Space Force has awarded a $25.3 million contract to defense technology startup Anduril Industries. Under the agreement announced on September 27, Anduril will improve the communication and data integration systems of the Space Surveillance Network.

The SSN, first implemented in the late 1950s, is a global sensor network that includes conventional radars, phased radars and telescopes. These assets are used to track satellites, space debris, and provide early warning of ballistic missile launches.

The contract is based on Anduril's previous work. with the Space Force, expanding the deployment of its mesh networking technology at SSN sites through March 2026. This latest award follows $10.5 million in previous Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contracts for similar work scheduled until December 2024.

At the heart of Anduril's solution is its Lattice software platform, which uses artificial intelligence to analyze and integrate data from multiple sensors, providing a comprehensive view of the space environment. The system autonomously processes information from radars, telescopes and other sensors, identifying critical patterns and data points.

The Space Force is also using Anduril SDANeta modern mesh network designed to augment the SSN's Space Defense Interface Network, a 40-year-old system that relies on point-to-point connections. SDANet leverages commercial space Internet services like SpaceX's Starlink to create high-speed connections between multiple space domain awareness platforms and sensors.

Sandra Erwin writes about military space programs, policy, technology, and the industry that supports this sector. She has covered the military, the Pentagon, Congress and the defense industry for nearly two decades as NDIA's National Defense Editor…

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