Summary
The goal of the Space-WATCH program is to provide real-time persistent tracking of all objects in low Earth orbit (LEO) so that when an anomalous action occurs, operators can be notified in a timely fashion, allowing them to plan and execute appropriate actions.
To accomplish this, Space-WATCH aims to capitalize on the enormous volume of low-cost in-situ sensors in LEO on both commercial and government satellites that can contribute to continuous detection and tracking of nearby objects, identify when an anomaly or unexpected event/movement occurs, and then provide relevant details in a timely fashion to ground-based operators who can then direct appropriate action.
Critical to this process will be the establishment of an "as-a-service" model to incentivize data collection from non-government owned sensors that can be processed to form a single operational picture of LEO.