COMSPOC and ThothX announced today a partnership to bring the first commercial geosynchronous radar to the Asia-Pacific region to expand space traffic management (STM) and space domain awareness (SDA) services.
This new deep space radar system will transform the Carnavon satellite dish in Western Australia to leverage COMSPOC’s global network of optical telescopes and partner-owned sensors that feed its world-leading SDA software solution. ThothX brings a deep space radar capability that is unique in the commercial sector, combining hardware, radio frequency, and software that can process data in real time.
“Getting range measurements 24 hours a day of objects orbiting in geosynchronous space over Asia-Pacific is important for SDA and STM, and COMSPOC is thrilled about this unique collaboration to extend radar coverage in the region,” said Paul Graziani, CEO of COMSPOC.
The Carnavon dish was previously used in NASA’s Gemini and Apollo missions including the historic Apollo 11 moon landing. The COMSPOC/ThothX partnership will include refurbishing the existing antenna and installation of a transmitter, receiver, and back-end processing.
“We are delighted to be installing a system in Western Australia that will fill an observation gap over the region where existing sensors are overtasked, and modern SDA and STM capabilities are in high demand,” said Caroline Roberts, CEO of ThothX.
Work will begin this year, and the system is expected to be operational in 2023. This will be the second of seven systems worldwide.
The Carnavon collaboration is the second commercial geosynchronous project in the world. The first was commissioned in 2018 by COMSPOC and Thoth at the Algonquin Radio Observatory in Ontario, Canada. Known as the Earthfence, the Canadian deep space radar provides reliable, 24/7 SDA and STM sensor data in all weather conditions at ranges up to 50 million meters.
The new COMSPOC/ThothX partnership was announced today at the 37th Annual Space Symposium in Colorado Springs, Co.
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ABOUT COMSPOC
COMSPOC supports the space operations community with software products and services that address current and emerging challenges in the space environment. COMSPOC’s safety of flight and mission assurance services are the most accurate, precise, and complete in the private sector.
ThothX specializes in Space Domain Awareness as a service.
Media Contacts:
COMSPOC: Diane Smiroldo, diane@smiroldocommunications.
ThothX: Alison King, alison@thothx.com
