Interoperable Cislunar Observation Network (ICON) Phase II

Increasing commercial and governmental XGEO space activity poses both an opportunity for space development as well as risks for US space superiority. The impact of XGEO and cislunar activity extend beyond the domain's confines, positioning it as a pivotal high-ground to shape terrestrial and space-based force posture and leadership. This domain holds potential for advancing strategic geopolitical aims and offers tactical advantages in counterspace operations. Three problem areas are (1) National Security Needs and Pacing Challenge for Cislunar Space Superiority; (2) Modern Space Battle Management Technologies and Techniques are Necessary for XGEO; and (3) Lack of Scalable Framework and Tools for Cislunar Space Domain Awareness (SDA) and space battle management (SBM). The US requires both advanced algorithms and practical implementations into SBM and command and control (C2) architectures to maintain a lead in the space domain. Katalyst is developing ICON, a software-defined network that autonomously abstracts high level commands and maps them to optimal node behaviors, terrain mapping for joint warfighting, and leverages economic incentives to incorporate commercial spacecraft into a cooperative tracking network for SDA and SBM. ICON is decentralized, interoperable, and scalable. It is designed to complement central efforts and augment both coverage and tasking to provide more robust end-to-end custody.