At Western Australia Space Center, 400 kilometers north-east of Perth, Swedish Space Corporation (SSC) is about to install a new station capable of generating highly sophisticated SSA data for its future customers and partners.
The new station is a part of SSC’s Space Situational Awareness Program with the aim at contributing to both safer and more sustainable use of near-Earth space as number of objects keeps increasing at a rapid pace.
“We are working diligently to deliver data and develop services to help satellite owners operate their assets as safely and securely as possible. The current number of satellites in space will increase considerably in the future. As the near-Earth space becomes more and more crowded, the need for more precise data will keep growing,” says Jacob Ask, Program Manager from SSC.
The development of the station started in mid-2020. It features telescopes which will be remotely controlled from SSC head office in Solna in Stockholm, Sweden. These telescopes will be used for detecting and tracking satellites and space debris, collecting valuable information for the management of space traffic in orbit. The technology utilized in the station, including mount, telescopes and cameras, are specifically customized for space surveillance and tracking purposes.
“After the installation we will engage heavily in joint observation campaigns with our partners, data fusion, data sharing activities and more. We look forward to contribute to a safer environment in space for the benefit of the development of life on Earth,” says Jacob Ask.
The new station is expected to be in operation by mid-2022.