Quasar Satellite Technologies (‘Quasar’) launched Quasar Sense, a world first in space domain awareness capabilities (SDA), to the American defense, intelligence, and national security sectors. Quasar Sense deploys more than 30 steerable beams from a secure digitally defined phased array antenna enabling ground stations to simultaneously track and characterize over 30 satellites ‘of interest’ in real-time. This capability proactively delivers a continuous 360-degree perspective of radio frequency events in the sky 24/7. It also boosts space counterintelligence, anomaly detection, satellite monitoring, and decision-making capabilities to previously unachievable levels.
Quasar Sense was unveiled at the SFA’s Inaugural Spacepower Conference, and closes several intelligence gaps currently challenging American intelligence, space, and defense departments. For the first time ever, SDA intelligence in the southern hemisphere can operate without any blind spots with full access to all radio frequency activities. Quasar Sense enables the accurate distinction of space objects in close proximity, irrespective of light quality and weather conditions. Finally, it mitigates ongoing daily strikes against satellites, ranging from reversible, non-damaging attacks such as jamming GPS transmissions and spoofing.
Currently there are about 8,200 satellites currently in orbit. McKinsey forecasts there could be more than 65,000 by 2030. Industry figures suggest this number may even reach 100,000.
“This shows how critical Quasar’s mission is. Many of the satellites in orbit are used for intelligence and counterintelligence purposes. Existing passive RF technologies have gaps in their monitoring and characterization capabilities. It is now imperative to understand what adversarial nation states are doing in space, what data they are collecting, and what strategic decisions they will be making based on the information they have obtained,” says Phil Ridley, CEO at Quasar.
Quasar Sense is able to conduct detailed behavioral analysis of satellites of interest and deliver real-time data, irrespective of the satellites’ location in low, medium, or geostationary orbit. Comprehensive signal identification and analysis capabilities facilitate the capture, identification, cataloguing and cross referencing with the ground truth of every transmitting object within the entire operating frequency band of the array. Quasar Sense constantly monitors satellites transmissions to detect interference and enables spatial location of jamming and spoofing activity. Finally, it provides mission critical support by analyzing all targets of Interest simultaneously with every pass.
“Through rigorous testing we have demonstrated our phased array can track multiple satellites in the sky, across multiple orbits, simultaneously. That means government, defense and intelligence agencies can ‘hear the whole sky’ to access provide real-time, actionable radio-frequency information to characterize objects and detect anomalies in real-time. That data is invaluable to rapidly determine geopolitical activity and is a crucial asset for military, national security, and intelligence initiatives. There is no other technology today which has this ability,” adds Ridley.
Quasar Sense’s sophisticated technology will only be available to Five Eyes and Quad nations and allies. The U.S. is the primary target market for the solution, alongside Australia, the United Kingdom, India, South Korea, Japan, and New Zealand. Quasar will be opening its USA offices during the second quarter of 2024.
Quasar Sense effectively replaces hectares of traditional and mechanically steered parabolical dishes using outdated technology, making them redundant.