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A new AUKUS radar designed to track dangerous objects in geosynchronous orbit has completed construction in Exmouth, Western Australia.
The US Space Force said the work was completed three months ahead of schedule and that testing and mission system integration were underway.
The instrument is one of three planned under the defence coalition, with two other sites planned for the UK and the US.
It’s hoped the three together – known as the Deep Space Advanced Radar Capability – will provide 24-hour global and all-weather coverage that’s difficult to obtain with existing technology.
“At 22,236 miles above the Earth, an object in geosynchronous orbit takes 24 hours to orbit the planet,” the US Space Force said.
“This keeps the satellite ‘parked’ in the same spot, appearing stationary to ground sensors.
“This makes GEO important real estate for several satellites, but because GEO is so far above the Earth, it’s more difficult to monitor space debris and/or adversarial actions that could potentially disrupt or deny space-based capabilities in that orbit.
“Yet another challenge is that the US can only cover a limited portion of the sky based on its geography, which is one of the reasons international partnerships are so important.
“The DARC program demonstrates how allied partnerships can overcome both technical and geographic challenges while accelerating the delivery of advanced space technology in support of combined operations.”
