Slingshot Aerospace

🚨 Slingshot Orbital Alert 🚨 (Post 2/2) The Slingshot Global Sensor Network is currently tracking 40+ objects related to the breakup of an ATLAS 5 CENTAUR Rocket Body (NORAD ID: 43227) at ~05:21 UTC this morning (September 6th, 2024). Following a detailed conjunction assessment – and given the highly elliptical orbit (34,953 km apogee; 7,634 km perigee; 9.4° inclination) – Slingshot has determined that the current debris cloud does not likely pose an immediate threat to any active spacecraft at present. Currently, the closest predicted approach between debris from the ATLAS 5 CENTAUR parent object and known debris is estimated at ~220 km. While our analysis suggests that, based on the available data, there is no immediate risk to active satellites, this event illustrates the critical role Slingshot’s technology plays in identifying and assessing risks to satellite operations. The image below highlights the persistent tracking provided by Slingshot’s globally distributed sensor network – showcasing two images taken just 16 minutes apart, before and after the breakup. Image 1 (left) – Taken at 05:16 UTC from Chile, shows the rocket body still intact. Image 2 (right) – Taken at 05:32 UTC from another sensor site in Chile, shows the debris cloud around the rocket body. Reach out to sales@slingshot.space for first-to-know space domain awareness insights that impact your mission.

Our team is headed to Bremen, Germany next week for Space Tech Expo Europe! Be sure to visit us on the exhibiting floor at stand W20 to learn more about our industry-leading solutions for: 🌎 Space Domain Awareness 🚦 Space Traffic Coordination 🛰️ Satellite Operations 🛡️ Space Security & Defense 🌐 Training & Education 📊 Space Market Analysis Drop us a note at info@slingshot.space to schedule a meeting.

We're excited to announce that Slingshot Aerospace has joined SDA TAP Lab’s Cohort 5! Over the next 3 months, our team will be collaborating with industry partners to tackle a critical challenge - detecting camouflage, concealment, deception, or maneuver (CCDM) in spacecraft. During this cohort, we'll be building upon Agatha, our advanced AI system that identifies anomalous behavior within satellite constellations. See Agatha in action: https://lnkd.in/gnMrGD6P Interested in learning more about our cutting-edge AI capabilities for space domain awareness? Reach out to sales@slingshot.space.

Today, and every day, we at Slingshot Aerospace honor the bravery and sacrifice of our nation's veterans. We are especially grateful to the veterans within our own Slingshot family. Your service has made an indelible impact, both on our country and our company. We are humbled to work alongside you. To all veterans, past and present, thank you. Your service will never be forgotten. On this Veterans Day, and always, we stand in awe of your remarkable contributions. Our deepest gratitude goes out to you and your loved ones.

Slingshot Aerospace is proud to sponsor National Security Space Association (NSSA)’s Space Domain Awareness (SDA) Forum this week! Audrey Schaffer, VP of Strategy and Policy, will serve as the official event emcee. Join us as we explore the most pressing challenges facing SDA and highlight the groundbreaking capabilities being developed to address this critical mission area. Interested in meeting with our team? Contact sales@slingshot.space

Our CEO, Tim Solms, joined a panel of colleagues at TechCrunch Disrupt earlier this week to discuss how investors can help startups compete for lucrative government and defense contracts. We highly recommend taking a few minutes out of your busy day to listen through this insightful discussion on the market dynamics that are shaping the future of dual-use space technologies. As Tim mentions on stage, “the United States has a responsibility, as well as an opportunity, to continue to maintain the lead in the space sector,” and ultimately, commercial companies are in a prime position to deliver the rapid technological innovations required to maintain superiority in the space domain. Watch the full panel here: https://lnkd.in/dJ3A_Dc5

🚨Slingshot Orbital Alert 🚨 Slingshot’s orbital analysts have high confidence that they have identified the body of Intelsat 33e amongst the debris cloud resulting from its October 19th breakup at ~60 degrees E. Identifying the original spacecraft body, or ‘parent object,’ in a debris event is critical for proper catalog maintenance, breakup forensics, root cause analysis, and ongoing conjunction assessment – which helps ensure the safety of other satellites. By leveraging both positional (or astrometric) and brightness (or photometric) data collected by the Slingshot Global Sensor Network, Slingshot orbital analysts were able to study solar radiation pressure (SRP) estimates and light curve signatures across the larger objects involved in the breakup. After review,  Slingshot suspects the parent object is currently located at 64 degrees E. and is drifting eastward at a rate of 0.38 degrees per day. Slingshot is partnering closely with government partners to share these insights and help accelerate the object cataloging effort related to this event. 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗜𝘁 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀: In addition to producing high-accuracy positional (or astrometric) data, Slingshot’s optical sensors collect valuable information on the apparent magnitude (or brightness) of an object – this is commonly referred to as photometric data. Photometric data can unlock a range of insights, including: 1. An object’s relative size 2. Whether it is stable or tumbling (e.g., has it experienced an anomaly or lost control?) 3. How fast it is tumbling (especially useful for active debris removal missions) 4. Whether it shares a photometric signature with other objects in orbit (e.g., is it a new type of satellite, or does it resemble others in orbit?) Photometric data from optical sensors provide critical information beyond what other sensing phenomenologies can offer, which primarily provide astrometric data to generate estimates of an object's orbit. Photometric data is a vital component of a comprehensive space domain awareness system, offering a more complete view of the orbital operating environment. Want to explore how photometric data can support your ongoing space domain awareness mission or your next rendezvous and proximity operation? Contact us at sales@slingshot.space

📢 Incoming! Slingshot’s technical papers from the 25th Advanced Maui Optical and Space Surveillance Technologies (AMOS Conference) Conference are here! We're excited to share the groundbreaking work Slingshot presented at AMOS last month. Our team showcased three innovative AI/ML technologies set to transform space situational awareness: 🪪 ML-Based Photometric Fingerprinting: Identifying and characterizing LEO satellites using unique brightness measurements to create digital ‘fingerprints’ 💥 Early Identification of High-Covariance Conjunctions: Predicting potential collision risks days in advance to support improved space traffic coordination 🕵️ Action-Free Inverse Reinforcement Learning for Satellite Similarity and Anomaly Detection: Spotting unusual satellites hidden within mega-constellations These advancements are looking to revolutionize threat detection, space traffic coordination, and constellation monitoring. We're proud of the work our team is doing to stay at the forefront of space safety, sustainability, and security. Read our full AMOS recap and access the technical papers here: https://lnkd.in/gGzHZfTk

Exciting news! Our CEO, Tim Solms, will be speaking at TechCrunch Disrupt 2024! Join Tim and other industry leaders as they dive into the world of dual-use technology and the opportunities for startups in the government and defense sectors. 𝐏𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐥: "Breaking into Dual-Use: Strategies for Startups in Defense Tech" 𝐊𝐞𝐲 𝐓𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐬: Navigating government procurement Building public-private sector relationships Fostering innovation-driven talent Competing with established primes 𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧/𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞: October 28 | 8:35 AM PT Space Stage Learn more and register for the event today! https://lnkd.in/g5iZhq5J

🚨Slingshot Orbital Alert 🚨 The Slingshot Global Sensor Network is actively tracking the debris cloud related to the October 19, 2024 breakup of Intelsat’s 33e (NORAD ID: 41748) GEO satellite at 60 degrees E. The satellite was eight years into its 15-year mission, having launched in August of 2016. The sudden failure of Intelsat 33e is eerily similar to the fate of its predecessor, Intelsat 29e (NORAD ID: 41308), which suffered a total failure in April 2019, just over three years after it was launched into orbit in January 2016. At the time of failure, Intelsat 29e still had 12 years of planned service based on its 15-year mission. While the cause of the most recent failure is unknown, a 2019 investigation conducted by Boeing, the manufacturer of both 29e and 33e, concluded that 29e’s failure was due to either an electrostatic discharge resulting from a wiring harness flaw or a micrometeoroid strike. After the 29e anomaly investigation in 2019, SpaceNews reported a Boeing representative stating, “We believe that other similar spacecraft on orbit are at low risk of experiencing the same sequence of events. Nevertheless, as a precaution, we are incorporating information gained from the investigation to other spacecraft, as appropriate.” According to Slingshot Seradata, both Intelsat 33e and 29e were built on the same Boeing bus platform – the BSS-702MP (Boeing 702B). The BSS-702MP platform is the same bus platform used by seven other GEO satellites currently in orbit. The Indonesian-owned Nusantara Lima satellite is also built on the BSS-702MP platform and is expected to be launched later this year. Active & Upcoming Satellites Built on the BSS-702MP Platform: NUSANTARA LIMA – Launching 2024 JCSAT-18/KACIFIC-1 – Active, Launched 2019 AMOS-17 – Active, Launched 2019 HORIZONS 3e – Active, Launched 2018 Intelsat 37e – Active, Launched 2017 Intelsat 35e – Active, Launched 2017 Intelsat 21 – Active, Launched 2012 Intelsat 22 – Active, Launched 2012 It is important to note that these failures are out of the ordinary for Intelsat. In the company’s 50+ years of service, they’ve successfully launched over 150 satellites and are currently operating 42 active spacecraft in GEO. Contact sales@slingshot.space for 24/7/365 space domain awareness from the Slingshot Global Sensor Network & access to the world's leading launch and satellite database, Slingshot Seradata.