Integrated Network of Sensors for Enhanced Characterization of Threats Onboard an Inspection DROID (INSECTOID)

Space Domain Awareness (SDA) can be defined as the study of monitoring the space domain using a set of tools, techniques, and procedures for cataloging and monitoring spaceborne objects. SDA provides a framework for the protection of both government and commercial space assets. The issuance of Space Policy Directives (SPDs) 5 through 7 has led to increases in Department of Defense (DoD) and commercial investment in technologies to protect high-value assets (HVAs), showing a strong interest in threat assessment and response generation in addition to traditional SDA cataloging and monitoring, in support of an overall Battle Management Command, Control, and Communication (BMC3) system. The proposed Direct-to-Phase-II effort is focused on developing a flight-qualified low-SWaP sensor and avionics payload comprising multiple wide-field-of-view electro-optical sensors married to an advanced onboard processor to perform real-time image processing, object detection and tracking, anomaly detection, and threat identification and assessment: Integrated Network of Sensors for Enhanced Characterization of Threats Onboard an Inspection DROID (INSECTOID). The system augments traditional approaches with advanced processing ôat the edgeö for robust and efficient change detection and characterization rather than simply ôtracking dots.ö The Ten One Aerospace and Turion Space team is uniquely positioned to rapidly mature the proposed technology and provide mature, mission-relevant capabilities to the USSF. Turion Space is also developing a high-resolution, narrow-field-of-view electro-optical sensor for object characterization with a confirmed launch scheduled for mid-2025. This effort has the potential to leverage that launch opportunity to perform a combined mission demonstrating the INSECTOID payload and its ability to tip and cue the Turion Space narrow-field-of-view sensor for tactically responsive follow-up observation of abnormal objects.