LeoLabs inaugurates the West Australian Space Radar. Photo: LeoLabs

LeoLabs entered a new space radar into service, the West Australian Space Radar (WASR), giving the company coverage of the Southern Hemisphere in the Indo-Pacific region. The new site will enable better tracking and monitoring of median to high inclination resident space objects in Low-Earth Orbit (LEO), along with the Kiwi Space Radar in New Zealand.

LeoLabs now has a global network of 10 independent radars across six operational sites. Last year, the company opened a new radar in Costa Rica. 

LeoLabs said the location has strategic importance. It increases surveillance of the Southern Hemisphere in the Indo-Pacific region, where the U.S. and allied nations have historically lacked coverage and visibility. LeoLabs has a team in Australia responsible for Pacific daytime global radar operations, orbital analytics, and reporting to provide LeoLabs with continuous coverage and analysis of regional activities in LEO.

“Australia is now host to a landmark in the world of space safety,” said Dan Ceperley, CEO of LeoLabs. “At LeoLabs we are honored and humbled to be a part of the Australian space ecosystem and to have found so many supporters and partners in Australia.”