Anduril Industries has announced the successful demonstration of a new satellite-based sensor capable of tracking spacecraft that may be concealing their maneuvers within Earth's shadow. The company reported the success of the technology demonstration mission on Tuesday, highlighting the capabilities of its latest orbital asset.
The sensor system is housed on Anduril-216, an oven-sized satellite that was launched in July aboard a SpaceX rideshare mission. The spacecraft orbits approximately 590 kilometers (366 miles) above Earth, spending roughly one-third of each orbit in darkness. These night passes are critical to the mission, as they allow the satellite's infrared imager to function effectively.
Anduril-216 carried a package of technology demonstration payloads funded entirely by the company’s internal capital. In addition to the primary long-wave infrared space sensor, the satellite included an edge-compute processor and a power-management system designed to be adaptable to various mission types.
The long-wave infrared sensor is specifically engineered to detect other objects in orbit, even when they are not visible to traditional optical sensors due to the lack of sunlight. By leveraging the thermal signatures of spacecraft, the system aims to provide visibility into orbital activities that might otherwise remain hidden during the dark portions of the orbit.
This demonstration marks a significant step in Anduril's development of space situational awareness tools. The successful operation of the sensor in the orbital night environment validates the company's approach to monitoring potential adversaries or other space objects using infrared technology.
<small>Source: Ars Technica — read the original story there.</small>
