As traffic in space increases, the UK Space Agency is taking steps to improve its visibility in orbit.
The agency awarded Slingshot Aerospace Ltd. a contract on Tuesday to boost the nation’s ability to track objects in orbit. Slingshot, which uses AI for space traffic management—as well as modeling and simulation—declined to disclose the value of the contract, but called it a “meaningful investment.”
More details: As part of the contract, Slingshot will build 13 optical sensor systems at five sites around the globe, allowing the UK government to precisely track everything from satellites to debris to asteroids, according to a press release.
Global reach: Slingshot is no stranger to government contracts. It previously won a $25.2M US Space Force contract to build a digital twin of the space domain, which will allow Guardians to simulate operations for training in a virtual environment. The company also won a $5.3M NOAA contract (valued at $13.3M if all four option years are accepted) to help build the forward-facing part of the agency’s Traffic Coordination System for Space (TraCSS).
The CA-based startup opened its UK-based entity in March 2024. The opening of the startup’s offices in Cornwall and London was intended to help the company build bridges to the UK space sector—so, goal achieved.
Traffic jam: With 12,000 active sats in orbit today—a number that could grow to 100,000 by the end of the decade—having precise visibility in orbit is more important than ever, Kelli Furrer, Slingshot Aerospace’s chief revenue officer and chief marketing officer, told Payload via email.
“That density drives more close approaches, more collision-avoidance maneuvers, and a higher premium on precise, real-time tracking,” she said. “On the behavioral side, proximity operations and uncoordinated maneuvers by certain nefarious satellites underscore the need for transparency, and independent verification. Reliable data is the foundation for accountability, and for keeping space safe and sustainable.”
