Telescope for Autonomous and Remote Universal Surveillance (TAURUS)

As technological advancements continue, space domain awareness (SDA) remains a priority for our national defense. As a result, the Department of the Air Force has identified the need for a mobile observatory unit to support one-time observation events as well as fill temporary gaps in coverage. Currently, smaller (<.3m aperture) observatory units are deployed in remote locations for these events, with teams that must remain on location during the duration of surveillance. These smaller units, while often effective for low earth orbit (LEO) tracking, reach limitations when observations extend beyond into middle earth orbit (MEO) and geo-stationary earth orbit (GEO). While larger (.4-1.2m) class observational units are often required to collect the higher resolution data needed, there remains a challenge to safely and readily transport this class of instrumentation to remote and austere observational environments. Outpost Technologies in partnership with the University of Alabama is proposing the Telescope for Autonomous and Remote Universal Surveillance (TAURUS) system to remedy these problems. This solution aims to provide a self-sufficient, mobile observatory unit capable of autonomous observations. TAURUS will be trailer-based, built on a palletized system that protects sensitive optical equipment by strategically implementing vibration suppression/shock absorption measures allowing for the acquisition of highly accurate results. TAURUS will be outfitted with Starlink for network access as well as a remote start generator, allowing for unit self-sufficiency after initial setup.  The Raven Class Telescope approach implemented in the TAURUS uses commercial off the shelf (COTS) items throughout and is tailored toward a mission goal rather than to specific component criteria. This allows for a mission-focused approach while reducing price and complexity wherever possible. This concept will be designed with the mission goal of creating a rapidly deployable observation unit, supporting the autonomous tracking of satellites and space objects from remote and austere environments for SDA efforts. Outpost along with the University of Alabama stand on an extensive history and proven past performance in the ruggedization and automation of optical equipment, positioning us well to bridge this technological gap.