Since the early 1980s, the Ground-Based Electro-Optical DeepSpace Surveillance (GEODSS) System has played a central role in tracking deep space objects. It is a nine passive sensor array of visible wavelength reflecting telescopes. These are globally distributed across the following three sites (with three telescopes per site):
- White Sands Missile Test Range, Socorro, N.M.
Operated by Det. 1, 15th Space Surveillance Squadron - Diego Garcia, British Indian Ocean Territories
Operated by Det. 2, 15th Space Surveillance Squadron - Mount Haleakala, Maui Island, Hawaii
Operated by Det. 3, 15th Space Surveillance Squadron.
These telescopes play a central role in tracking deep space objects and are each able to “see” objects 10,000 times dimmer than the human eye. Over the years, the GEODSS systems have undergone several refurbishments and upgrades, the most significant being the addition of digital cameras. These highly sensitive digital camera technologies— developed under a program known as Deep STARE—can detect multiple satellites in the telescope’s field of view. The telescopes take rapid electronic snapshots of satellites in the night sky, showing up on the operator’s console as tiny streaks. Star images, which remain fixed, are used as reference or calibration points for each of the three telescopes. The resulting observation data is then sent instantaneously to Delta 2 for the management of the satellite catalog data. On April 7, L3Harris won a $150 million contract modification as part of MOSSAIC—Maintenance of Space Situational Awareness Integrated Capabilities—a program to provide reliable, accurate, and timely surveillance to military, civil, and commercial stakeholders to protect space assets and ensure freedom of movement in space.
Ground-Based Electro-Optical Deep Space Surveillance Technical Data
Contractors: MIT Lincoln Labs (initial RDTE); TRW (prime contractor for design and development radar, acquired by Northrop Grumman); Sarnoff Corp. (Deep STARE upgrade).
Operator/Location: 15th Space Surveillance Squadron (Mission Delta 2), Diego Garcia; White Sands Missile Range, N.M.; Maui.
IOC: 1982.
Active Systems: Nine passive sensor array telescopes.