Activity Learning and Inferencing for Space Situational Awareness (ALISSA)

ABSTRACT:Establishing timely, accurate, and comprehensive Space Situation Awareness (SSA) requires analytic methods that put into context the information drawn from multiple data sources. A vital feature of an SSA system is the capability to predict, and understand, space-based activities that might threaten our satellites. The Activity Learning and Inferencing for Space Situational Awareness (ALISSA) program will address this important operational need by developing, evaluating, and transitioning an innovative capability to learn models of normal satellite operation, and detect operationally relevant deviations from satellite normalcy, built on the synergistic combination of machine learning and multiple hypothesis reasoning methods. In the Phase I program we will: (1) develop an algorithmic approach and overall framework for the problem of improving SSA by learning normal behavior, detecting changes, and reasoning over the implications of those changes; (2) conduct a series of focused investigations and evaluations of algorithms for normalcy learning, anomaly detection, event reasoning; and (3) evaluate the implications of the proposed algorithms on the overall SSA system. The results of the Phase I program will demonstrate the feasibility and promise of the systems concept to be realized in Phase II.BENEFIT:Activity Learning and Inferencing for Space Situational Awareness (ALISSA) offers significant potential benefits to the US Government and commercial satellite applications. Learning normal behaviors, and detecting and reasoning about anomalies, are vital to ensure the physical safety of commercial and military satellites (e.g., through collision avoidance), in addition to enabling the development of accurate space situational awareness. Our work in ALISSA will ensure that further government investment in space situational awareness (SSA) is optimized by maximizing the ability to provide detection and understanding of anomalous satellite events. The current most likely paths for transition are SSA for military organizations (e.g., Joint Space Operations Center (JSpOC) Mission System (JMS), NASIC, NRO, and AFSOPS) and commercial satellite owner/operators.