Space Force's ATLAS Space Domain Awareness Software Is Working - Here's What It's For

The U.S. Space Force has reached a crucial milestone, one that modernizes and enhances the command and control capabilities of the Defense Department's space wing. Nearly eight months after awarding the contract, it has approved the Advanced Tracking and Launch Analysis System (ATLAS) by granting it operational acceptance. The cutting-edge software system is now ready to be used for surveillance, monitoring, and communication purposes in space — replacing the decades-old Space Defense Operations Center (SPADOC) system.

The purpose of the ATLAS system is to have eyes in the space that can provide a more accurate view of adversary satellites and debris. The operational greenlight comes after a year-long testing and evaluation conducted at the Space Operations Command's Mission Delta 2 at the Vandenberg Space Force Base. Shannon Pallone, Program Executive Officer (PEO) for Battle Management Command, Control & Communications, United States Space Force, told Breaking Defense in an interview that the next-gen system has been successfully deployed to log tracking information for objects in space.

Broadly speaking, the ATLAS program is all about space domain awareness. It integrates everything from intelligence gathering and command and control to satellite threat analysis (including space debris), surveillance, and operational readiness. The system was designed by L3Harris Technologies after receiving a contract worth $90 million from the U.S. Space Force Space Systems Command. U.S. Space Force Lt. Col. Amber Johnson said in a press statement that ATLAS is a "revolutionary leap" for the country's airborne defense fleet and gives it a decisive edge.

It is no secret that space defense awareness is a crucial element, and a robust infrastructure will go a long way in speeding up operations. ATLAS will not only assist with achieving that goal, but will also help the US keep a persistent eye on the evolving threats. According to the Space Operations Command (SpOC) office, the ATLAS infrastructure offers "integrated bi-directional messaging that connects SDA, as an enterprise function, across the combined force, delivering a timely and accurate space picture to warfighters." 

ATLAS is not the only high-profile undertaking by the space wing in recent years. In March, the United States Space Force awarded a contract to Gravitics to build the Orbital Carrier, a special kind of carrier touted to be a "groundbreaking solution for tactically responsive space." It will be home to multiple space vehicles for handling threats in orbit. The plans haven't been received well by geopolitical rivals. China, for example, warned that the US plans to deploy an orbital transport craft will threaten space security and risk an escalation of the arms race.

It is, however, evident that space is becoming a potential battlefront. Just over a month ago, Brig. Gen. Jürgen Schrödl also claimed that space is a war-fighting domain. "The rule-based international order in space is nearly over," he was quoted as saying by Defense News.