Slingshot Aerospace’s Global Sensor Network. Photo: Slingshot Aerospace

Slingshot Aerospace shared plans on Wednesday to expand its Global Sensor Network to increase its daily observations of Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) by 100 times. 

By the end of  this year, Slingshot plans to deploy more than 80 new optical sensors, which include proprietary telescopes and ultra-wide field of view sensors. This will bring its total network to more than 200 sensors across more than 20 sites globally. The expansion includes two new Southern Hemisphere sites, and adding additional sensors to many existing sites around the world. 

This expands the sensor network Slingshot acquired last year from Numerica’s Space Domain Awareness (SDA) division. The Global Sensor Network powers Slingshot Vantage a day and night LEO-to-GEO optical satellite tracking and monitoring service. 

The company said its Global Sensor Network generates precise angular and brightness data that provides additional context beyond existing LEO radar tracking capabilities. Proprietary daytime LEO tracking capabilities give five times the observation opportunities of night-only systems.

Slingshot CEO Melanie Stricklan said the expansion will provide an “unprecedented level of space situational awareness.” 

“Slingshot’s enhanced space situational awareness data is already trusted by government organizations and satellite operators worldwide, and this expansion will allow us to significantly increase industry-leading LEO tracking data for satellite operators around the globe,” said Melanie Stricklan, Co-founder and CEO, Slingshot Aerospace. “We are making Slingshot’s Global Sensor Network the go-to commercial space surveillance and tracking provider for all orbital regimes.”