Characterizing
Space Activities
Audrey Schaffer
Vice President, Strategy & Policy

This document contains conﬁdential and proprietary information for authorized use only. Use, disclosure or distribution of this material is not permitted to any unauthorized persons or third parties except by written agreement.

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Most Comprehensive, Accurate, & Actionable
Common Operating Picture of SpaceMulti-Source, Multi-Orbit,
Day & Night Space Object Tracking

Astrodynamics Models &Machine Learning Models

Accessed through Software
Platform with Open Interfaces

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SPACE DATA

LEO-to-xGEO Space Situational
Awareness Insights from theSlingshot Global Sensor Network●Routine, Advanced, and Event-Based Tracking●Accurate, Low-Latency Astrometric & Photometric Data●

Continued LEO-Focused Network Expansion●Full space object catalog across GEO/MEO/GEO/LEO●

500+ million observations collected to-date●

Supporting government and private sector spacecraft

200+ Day/Night Optical Sensors
20+ Global Sensor Sites
24-7-365 Space Domain Awarenessowner/operators and oversight agencies
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SPACE INSIGHTSSpace Object Status●Ground-based telescopes observe thebrightness of a space object over time

●Light curves can reveal space object
attitude control - stable vs tumbling●

Attitude control is one indicator ofwhether a space object is functional ornot-functional

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SPACE INSIGHTS

Pattern of Life (Stationary)●

Ground-based telescopes observe theposition of a space object over time●

Large changes to position can be detectedwith observational data → pattern of life●

Pattern of life can inform analysis offunction of space object●

Diﬀerent patterns of life are most readily
apparent when comparing objects inGeostationary Orbit (GEO)
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SPACE INSIGHTS

Pattern of Life (Dynamic)●Some space objects in GEO change theirpositions more frequently than others●

When assessing pattern of life, can look at
frequency of positional changes AND otherpotentially-aﬀected space objects●Nearby space objects can inform analysis ofwhether spacecraft is performing
cooperative or uncooperative activities

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Thank you!

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Download the full report at: https://www.slingshot.space/news/state-of-satellite-deployments-and-orbital-operations-2023

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SPACE INSIGHTS

AI & ML-Powered Analytics
Pattern of Life Insights

Neighborhood Watch Insights

Slingshot's Pattern of Life Insights analytic combines satellite

The Neighborhood Watch Insights analytic provides neardescriptors, orbital characteristics, and maneuver detection toreal-time information about clusters of satellites in the GEO belt

oﬀer detailed and actionable insights into a spacecraft's behavior.

by evaluating the general characteristics of grouped satellites(“neighborhoods”) and monitoring for changes in those groups.

Outlier Spacecraft Insights

RF Signal Insights

Whether trying to understand the impact and operation of orbital

Slingshot’s Radio Frequency (RF) Signal Insights enableneighbors or maintaining awareness of suspected threats, machine

partners to identify, track, and characterize ground- andlearning algorithms identify anomalous behaviors and provide nearspace-based RF sources including jammers, spoofers,

real-time monitoring of active constellations.

and unexpected sources using GNSS data.

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