The Defense Department has voiced concerns over space weapon risks, particularly with an impending increase in objects entering low-Earth orbit. Slingshot Aerospace, a California company, has developed an AI system named Agatha to detect strange behavior in satellite constellations, which could indicate space weapons or threats. The company recently secured a contract from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency for this system.
Dylan Kesler, from Slingshot Aerospace, mentioned the difficulty in tracking potential space weapons amongst the growing satellite constellations in low-Earth orbit, such as China’s plan to launch thousands of new satellites. The challenge lies in identifying anomalies accurately amidst the congestion. The company’s AI system has been tested with simulated and real-world data, successfully detecting anomalies in existing satellite constellations.
Tracking nefarious behavior in fast-orbiting satellite constellations requires processing vast amounts of data from various sources. Kesler highlighted that the AI system aims to detect unusual behavior promptly for Space Command to investigate further. The system has proven to be effective in identifying faulty or mission-altered satellites within real-world constellations, even alerting operators to potential malfunctions.
