Achieving Higher-Fidelity Conjunction Analyses Using Cryptography to Improve Information Sharing

The United States has been interested in protecting its on-orbit assets ever since the first U.S. satellite was launched in 1958. Since that time, the United States has been monitoring the location of objects in orbit to maintain custody of its satellite inventory, as well as predict and prevent col...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Hemenway, Brett, Welser IV, William, Baiocchi, Dave
Format: Report
Language:English
Subjects:
ARTIFICIAL SATELLITES
COLLISIONS
CRYPTOGRAPHY
Cybernetics
INFORMATION EXCHANGE
INVENTORY
ORBITS
SSN(SPACE SURVEILLANCE NETWORK)
Online Access:Request full text
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Summary:The United States has been interested in protecting its on-orbit assets ever since the first U.S. satellite was launched in 1958. Since that time, the United States has been monitoring the location of objects in orbit to maintain custody of its satellite inventory, as well as predict and prevent collisions between known objects. The Space Surveillance Network (SSN), managed by U.S. Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM) and staffed by 14th Air Force, currently tracks more than 20,000 orbital objects larger than 10 cm in diameter. The data collected by the SSN are used to maintain a master catalog of known space objects, and this catalog is then used to estimate the probability of collisions involving active satellites. When a collision is predicted, the operator is notified, and evasive action can be taken.